My Heart of Darkness
by LVB
Summary: Post-RotS 18yrs AU. In a time of peace, Mara wages war within herself and against the darkness that threatens to consume her. Ensemble cast.
1. Strength and Discovery

**My Heart of Darkness**

**Disclaimer:** Anything Star Wars related belongs to the demi-god George Lucas. I am making zero profit from this piece of fiction.

**Summary:** Post-RotS 20yrs AU. In a time of peace, Mara wages war within herself and against the darkness that threatens to consume her.

**A/N:** This story begins with a rather thorough look at the way the SW universe changes. Our beloved heroine will take over in chapter three and live her life in the universe being developed in the prologue and first two chapters. It is an ensemble cast, so please expect to see our much-loved characters pop up throughout this story.

**Prologue**

**Strength and Discovery**

Anakin felt his heart race as the scene in front of him unfolded. The Force tugged at both sides of him as he watched Palpatine and Master Windu battle. A fear gripped him; an all-encompassing fear for Padmè and for their unborn child. Palpatine's words repeated in his mind as the smell of his burning flesh assaulted Anakin's nose.

_We can save her. _

Surely it wasn't the only way?

Anakin felt his arm move; as if the Force itself were guiding it. He focused but couldn't stop himself. Suddenly, a voice sounded in his head.

_You are the Chosen One_, it whispered.

"No," he said to himself, prompting both parties to look at him; pleading for his allegiance.

_You must do what is right_, the voice reasoned. _Do not be afraid, Anakin. She is in no danger. Not until you turn. _

"Qui-Gon?" Anakin asked, barely believing it.

_Believe._

Anakin closed his eyes, and let his saber fall.

_Eighteen Months Later- Serenno _

"It feels good be out," Anakin commented as Obi-Wan directed Threepio to land the ship.

Obi-Wan smirked. "Am I to understand that you've fought to change the Jedi Code and our entire policy on 'attachment' only to tell me you've tired of domesticity?"

Anakin glared at his former Master. "I meant that since the fall of Palpatine, the Council has had me on a rather tight leash, Master." Anakin took another look at the ship's controls and nodded to Threepio. "Besides—_you _try living with twins."

Obi-Wan chuckled and slapped Anakin on the back. "I shall leave the expert child rearing to you and your lovely wife, Anakin."

"We've docked at Bay Seventeen, Master Anakin," interrupted Threepio. "Control says you and Master Kenobi have approximately forty-eight standard hours before your licence to dock is revoked."

"Thank you, Threepio," Anakin replied, taking note of the current time. "Not too fond of the Jedi, it would seem."

Obi-Wan fixed his cloak and turned to Anakin. "That hardly seems surprising, Anakin. After Dooku, well..."

The door opened, revealing a thick, foggy air. Obi-Wan coughed as he turned back around to Threepio.

"Threepio, you are to stay with the ship until we return. Could you please inform the Council that we have arrived and will send through a report at fourteen-hundred hours."

Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at the bustling droids and lower-class workers at the spaceport. "Quicker, the better," Obi-Wan advised as the two Jedi lifted their hoods and made their way to the palace.

o0o

"These negotiations are pointless," grumbled Obi-Wan as he clutched his lightsaber. Anakin glared at the guards who had escorted them out of the grand palace.

"Says The Negotiator," Anakin pointed out, readjusting his cloak after being man-handled. "Besides, wasn't it _you _who suggested it?"

"Learn your place, young one," Obi-Wan replied, looking up at the closed palace doors. "I only meant the negotiations for the _Jedi_ are pointless. The Counts seem to be rather co-operative in reconnecting with the New Republic."

Anakin pondered on the official stance of Serenno. After being a Separatist system during the Clone Wars and having Count Dooku be in such a high position of power, he could understand a basic wariness of both the New Republic and the Jedi Order. The fact that they had allowed himself and Obi-Wan to even set foot on the planet was clearly the Force at work. He and Obi-Wan had been sent to negotiate on behalf of The New Republic Senate to reinstate the trade routes that the Trade Federation had disrupted during the Clone Wars and aftermath.

During the briefing, it had also come to light that Serenno had also put a system-wide ban on accepting Jedi assistance and most importantly, making it illegal for the Jedi to recruit Force-sensitive children to the Jedi Order. With the changes happening in the Jedi Order, Anakin had been saddened to hear that, even with contact now being allowed between younglings and parents, Serenno's policy had yet to change.

"Well, that's something, I suppose," Anakin replied brightly, secretly eager to wrap the mission up and return home to his family. "Surely we have our answer, Obi-Wan. They're not going to change their minds. Senator Inkoo can take over trade negotiations from here. We're done."

Obi-Wan sighed and tore his eyes away from the impressive-looking palace—which had once been Dooku's home. "I suppose you are right, Anakin."

Suddenly, a ripple in the Force swept over them.

"Stars, what was that?" Anakin asked, gripping his lightsaber. "Did you feel it?"

Curious, Obi-Wan looked out into the distance, sensing something that required his attention was out there, amongst the people. "I did," Obi-Wan replied, motioning for Anakin to release his lightsaber. "The Force, it is calling."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused, searching through the thousands of sentients. There was a gentle hum that permeated the Force around them and after a few seconds, a Force-signature lit up like a beacon for both Jedi in the distance.

"A Force-sensitive," Anakin breathed, feeling it too. "It is calling to us. Someone knows we're here."

Obi-Wan's eyes remained closed as he concentrated on the presence in the Force. He could not describe it as powerful and certainly not threatening. It was more like a gentle pleading—a last ditch attempt at communicating to somebody, _anybody_, through the Force. Obi-Wan's reaction however, was something he had never experienced before. As soon as he located it, it was as if he had no other alternative than to reach out to the being that was projecting. The Force filled his mind and body and his eyes sprung open.

"This way," he breathed, motioning for Anakin to follow.

o0o

The city was bustling. Serenno was not built like Coruscant and only had ground level. The city, however, was as diverse as the levels in Coruscant. The spaceport loomed in the distance as Obi-Wan navigated his way through the centre of the shopping district. Anakin checked his chrono.

"Master, we have about four hours until our docking licence expires," he reminded him as he tried to ignore the thick fog that surrounded the bustling sentients attempting to do their shopping.

"Plenty of time," Obi-Wan replied as he felt the Force guide him to an alleyway. Both Jedi looked around cautiously as it became apparent that the alleyway was filled with varying degrees of scum.

Anakin looked on sympathetically as they passed a human male passed out against the wall. "Master, I think this is a Spice Alley," he whispered as he bent down to check that the man still had a pulse.

Obi-Wan sniffed the air and nodded to Anakin. "You are right. This way," he urged, feeling that he was coming close.

Finally, they reached the end of the alley and a battered door. A Gredonian male stood guard, looking haggard and eyes glazed.

"In here."

Anakin looked at the Gredonian. "We are..."

The Gredonian held up his hand. "You got credits?" he asked, slurring his speech.

"New Republic credits?" Obi-Wan asked hopefully. "We're here to..."

"Don't care," the Gredonian interrupted. "Ask for Elka."

As the door opened, the smell hit both Jedi. Inside, several beings were lined up on dirty chairs. Four humanoids lay slumped on the floor, in similar states to the man they had found outside.

"Elka?" Anakin asked, looking around. Nobody answered.

Suddenly, one of the women sitting on the chairs raised her head. Obi-Wan immediately felt a surge in the Force and took in the state of the woman. She had a tear-stained face and her bright red hair was matted against her head. She had a similar glazed look to her face and Obi-Wan cringed, noticing the small track marks on her inner arm. Most shockingly, Obi-Wan finally noticed the large bump protruding from her stomach.

"You don't want her," the woman croaked softly. "Please."

Obi-Wan was quick to catch her as she fell. The Force was practically screaming as he struggled to position her in his arms. He knew with every fibre of his being that the woman needed to come with them. She was Force-sensitive, possibly a Force-user. Anakin picked up on Obi-Wan's thoughts nearly immediately.

_This is illegal, Master._

Obi-Wan felt the Force guiding him and it screamed for him to take her.

_She must come with us, young one._

Anakin raised his hands. "Nothing to see here," he said, covering their escape, although he was positive the sentients in the room were too high to be a threat.

Anakin then felt the Force run through him, as if it were thanking him. "We have to go."

Anakin stared at the woman's stomach and his thoughts wandered to his own children, safe and sound with Padmè on Coruscant. The Force wanted this woman to escape and Anakin knew that her child deserved a chance at life.

As they walked back up the alley, Anakin hurriedly contacted Threepio.

"Prepare to leave, Threepio," he said as he removed his cloak and draped it over the woman and cut the connection. "She's 'dead', Obi-Wan," Anakin stressed as they stepped out into the busy streets again.

Obi-Wan silently prayed to the Force that they would make it to the ship, undiscovered and unharmed.


	2. Rescue

**Chapter One—Rescue**

Anakin and Obi-Wan finally reached the spaceport. They had received a few strange looks on their way but only two people had stopped to ask. It was about to become three as the guard huffed and made his way over to the two Jedi.

"Purpose?" he growled at them, taking a deep breath of his smoking-stick.

"Our ship is docked at Bay Seventeen," Anakin answered. The guard looked over the priceless package that currently laid all-too still in his arms.

"Doesn't seem like a Jedi to be haulin' dead bodies off-planet," he replied, looking to lift the cloak. Obi-Wan felt the Force on their side and Anakin gently pushed the guard away.

"Spice addict," Anakin said, waving his hand in the guard's direction. "We're doing you a favour."

"Spice addict. You're doing us a favour. Right, sooner you Jedi scum are gone, the better."

The guard moved out of the way. It took only minutes for the Jedi to reach the ship. "Easier than I thought," Anakin mused as Threepio greeted them at the door.

"Master Obi-Wan! Thank the Maker!" he screeched. "The Council has been rather insistent that you contact them immediately. What is it that you are carrying?"

Obi-Wan didn't answer and made his way to his cabin, Anakin close behind. Anakin motioned for Artoo to follow them. "Get us out of here, Threepio."

Obi-Wan tenderly moved the cloak away from the woman as he made her comfortable on his bed. She was still unconscious but Obi-Wan could feel her hanging on through the Force. He studied her arms closely as the ship began its take-off procedure.

"Will she be alright, Master?" Anakin asked, unable to tear his eyes away from her pregnant stomach. "Her baby?"

From the look of her, she had her last hit of spice that very same day and it was unlikely to have left her system. Obi-Wan concentrated on the baby, finding it still very bright within the Force.

"The child is fine," Obi-Wan answered, his voice full of relief. "She is perhaps seven standard months old. It seems she is rather keen to get out and meet the world."

"It's a girl, Master?"

There was a flash of red hair and a beautiful smile. Obi-Wan saw the smallest nudge from the woman's stomach.

A soft whimpering cut through the silence and Obi-Wan knelt down and grasped the woman's hand.

"Can you hear me?" he asked. Anakin stood back and indicated for Artoo to begin recording.

"Need..." the woman began. "Need sp..."

"You are safe onboard a vessel headed towards the capital. Do you know where that is?"

The woman turned to look at Obi-Wan. "Coruscant? You got me..."

Obi-Wan nodded in response. "Yes, we have taken you off-world. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is Anakin Skywalker."

The woman's eyes blazed with recognition. "Jedi?"

She tried to move but her body was weak so she slumped back down into the bed. She cradled her stomach.

"What is your name?" Obi-Wan asked quietly. The woman shook her head.

"Dangerous," she said and immediately began to cough.

"Maybe it's time to put her in a healing trance, Master," Anakin advised as the woman's body began to shiver. "She is likely to start experiencing symptoms of withdrawal very soon. We need to get her to Master Offee as soon as possible."

"Help her," the woman interrupted. "Please."

Obi-Wan turned to face her as Anakin prepared to assist. "We shall do everything in our power to help you and your child."

The woman smiled, clearly fighting off the pain and longing in her veins. "Marali-Ketana Jade," she introduced herself and finally succumbed to a restful sleep. 

o0o

"Is the woman going to be alright?" Padmè asked through the holo. Anakin smiled as Luke waved to him.

"I'm not sure Padmè. Barriss is a very skilled Healer, we can only hope and let her fate rest with the Force."

"Daddy?" Leia demanded off-holo and Padmè sighed and adjusted Luke so she could pick Leia up too. Leia poked her brother and finally smiled at Anakin.

"Hello Princess," Anakin cooed and felt his heart soar as his family got excited to see him. Suddenly, Luke's head shot up.

"Baby," he said clearly.

Leia nodded and pointed to Anakin. "Baby," she agreed.

Anakin nearly forgot all his Jedi training and panicked. "Padmè, are you..."

Padmè shook her head. "No, Anakin," she reassured him. "They've been restless all morning." Padmè frowned. "Is this something Force-related?"

The twins kept pointing and saying 'baby'.

"I'm not sure, Padmè."

Suddenly, a shift presented itself in the Force and overcame the Jedi Master.

"Baby!" Luke screamed and he and Leia began to cry.

"Go, Anakin," Padmè urged as she cut the connection.

There was only one source of the Force disruption—their passenger. 

o0o

By the time Anakin arrived in the cabin, Obi-Wan had already made it there. Marali-Ketana lay deathly still on the cabin bed. Anakin could feel her body start to fail, even in the depths of the healing trance.

"We're losing her," Obi-Wan stated sadly. "She doesn't have much time left."

"Artoo, how close are we to Coruscant?" Anakin asked the droid that had been standing watch over their guest.

Artoo answered in a series of beeps and whistles.

"About an hour until we dock," Anakin confirmed. "Will she make it in time?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and searched the Force. The woman's Force signature was beginning to fade. However, the baby's Force-signature called to him. It suddenly became very clear to Obi-Wan. It was not the woman that he had followed into the depths at Serenno. The child had been a footnote then, a surprise. The woman was strong with the Force but the child was stronger. It seemed that where the mother was giving up, resigning herself to a life without pain and suffering, the child, _the girl_, was fighting; calling for him.

The baby wanted to live, mother or not.

And the Force clearly agreed.

"She has maybe an hour or two left," Obi-Wan finally answered. "Threepio, contact Master Offee and have her meet us immediately at the Halls of Healing. Inform her that she will need to be prepared for a birth, with access to the bacta cribs for a premature baby."

"Right away, Master Kenobi."

Suddenly, Marali-Ketana's eyes shot open. She gasped for air. "Mara!" she shouted, grabbing Obi-Wan's outstretched hand. "Save her, please," she begged.

And as her eyes closed for what Obi-Wan knew was the last time, he silently prayed to the Force that he would honour her last wishes. 

o0o

"Zonder, activate the bacta crib," Barriss Offee commanded as she organised the other two padawans on duty in the Halls. Zonder rushed forward and disappeared into the main operating theatre, closely followed by the hover-stretcher containing Marali-Ketana.

As Anakin and Obi-Wan went to follow them, Barriss held her hands up.

"I'm afraid we will have to take it from here, Masters," she said apologetically. "There is much to be done if we are to save the child."

"So there is no hope for the mother?" Obi-Wan asked anxiously. Neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan missed the sadness that passed over Barriss's face.

"Her prolonged use of spice has done irreversible damage to her. I would not be surprised if she has joined the Force by this evening. We must work quickly. Excuse me, I am needed."

Barely an hour passed before Zonder appeared at the door.

"It's a girl," he announced gruffly and motioned for both Obi-Wan and Anakin to follow him into the room. Several 2-1B droids cluttered the outside area. Barriss stood over the mother as she motioned for the two Jedi Masters to join her.

"She is about to join the Force," Barriss whispered. "She will not regain consciousness."

Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed their heads in respect. "And the child?" Obi-Wan asked. Zonder gruffly pointed to the far corner of the theatre, where a small bacta crib sat against the wall.

"And so she passes," said Anakin as the datapad attached to her readout-station whistled and then became silent.

"May the Force be with you, Marali-Ketana Jade."


	3. Hiding

**Chapter Two: Hiding**

"The Council is going to want a briefing," Anakin stated as Barriss pulled a sheet over Marali-Ketana's body. Obi-Wan barely heard Anakin, as he found himself drawn to the small, helpless child in the corner.

"I will send through my report immediately," Barriss confirmed as she tapped on the datapad. "Funeral?"

Anakin looked to Obi-Wan for an answer, finding him staring at the tiny girl in the bacta crib. Anakin felt his heart constrict, sensing the sadness and confusion in his former Master's heart. "She was a Force-sensitive. Please make the arrangements for a small Jedi funeral."

Barriss nodded. "As you wish, Master Skywalker."

Anakin made his way over to the bacta crib, where the tiny girl lay covered in the thick, healing liquid. At seven standard months old, she was unable to be taken from the bacta until her body fully developed. Anakin's thoughts went to his own children, once again, remembering just how small and helpless they had been when he and Padmè had taken them home.

As if on cue, a padawan stuck his head into the theatre. "Master Skywalker, Madam Skywalker is here to see you."

"Thank you El-tar, please notify my wife I will be there shortly."

"She is so small, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin placed a hand on his back. "Will her early birth diminish her ability to access the Force?" he asked Barriss.

Barriss made her way over to the bacta crib and looked at the datapad. "She is a fighter and her midichlorian count is higher than average. I should think that as soon as she gains some strength, her development will continue as per normal."

"Thank the Force and thank you, Master Offee," Obi-Wan replied. "She would have not survived without your quick intervention."

Barriss smiled sadly. "It is my only regret that we had lost her mother. A child so young would need her mother. However, she will be taken care of by the Jedi and become a strong and adapted youngling."

Barriss scoured the datapad. "Now, I've entered her birthday and midichlorian count to the Archives. I am looking for a name.? Master Obi-Wan, would you like to do the honour?"

Obi-Wan stared at the baby and her tiny wisp of bright red hair. "Mara, I believe I should like to call her. Mara Jade."

Barriss squeezed Obi-Wan's shoulder. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Thank you for your assistance, Masters. I believe you may go—I have a feeling the Council is eagerly awaiting your detailed report."

Just as Anakin was about to pull Obi-Wan away from the bed, the door flung open and Padmè entered the room. She was holding Luke on her hip and Leia sat in the double hover-pusher. The twins were both crying.

"Anakin," Padmè breathed, trying to bounce Luke. "They haven't stopped since we last spoke. I have no idea what is wrong...I..."

Zonder immediately picked Luke up and Barriss leant down and took hold of Leia. "Zonder, pass me the scanner, please."

Anakin held his wife's hand and brushed against his children with the Force. "I don't sense anything harmful through the Force," he announced and then squeezed her hand. "You were right to bring them, Padmè."

"Fine," Zonder announced and gently smoothed down Leia's thick, brown hair.

"Luke too," Barriss confirmed, following suit with Luke's blonde hair.

"Thank the stars," Padmè breathed. "What is wrong with them?"

Obi-Wan took in the scene in front of him. "They are both very sensitive," he said calmly. "And there is something rather upsetting under that sheet," he reminded them. Barriss's eyes widened.

"Of course, Zonder, could you please take...Miss Jade," she asked politely. Zonder picked up Leia and handed her back to Padmè.

"She is very precious," Zonder said, a sad longing in his eyes. He grabbed the datapad to manoeuvre the body out of the theatre.

"Thank you, Jedi Master Zonder," Padmè replied and hugged her daughter close.

Anakin picked up Luke and as soon as the body had left the room, the twins stopped crying.

"Fascinating," Obi-Wan said, still unable to tear himself away from Mara.

"Baby," Leia said first, pointing towards Mara.

"Baby!" Luke repeated, craning his neck to the newest Force-sensitive in the room.

Padmè's eyes widened. "Do you think..."

"Jedi children have been known to be _very_ attuned to the Force," Barriss replied. "Especially when it comes to other Force-sensitive children. It is the reason having Force-sensitive twins can be, ah, _interesting_."

"You don't have to tell me that," Anakin grumbled, earning a smack from Luke.

"Daddy," he said very clearly. "See the baby."

"The baby," Leia said.

"Luke, do you want to see the baby?" Anakin asked his son, who nodded in agreement.

"Leia baby," he announced too, pointing to his enthusiastic sister.

Anakin walked over to Mara's crib and placed Luke close, so he could see inside. Padmè followed and placed Leia next to him. They both touched the crib and for a moment, a spark filled the Force with hope.

"She will be your friend and train with you, one day," Obi-Wan said, smiling at the contact between the children.

"Friend!" Luke exclaimed and touched the crib.

Leia giggled. "Red," she said, looking at Mara's hair.

"They could feel her, Anakin," Padmè said, fascinated by her children's reaction. "They felt her, from even lightspeed."

"She is very strong in the Force," Obi-Wan replied, feeling a strange sense of pride. He leant down to eye level with Luke. "Your new friend's name is Mara."

Luke smiled and Leia clapped happily.

"Mara!" Luke squealed and began to laugh. "Mara, friend. Friend Marrrraaaa!"

"Luke, baby, I think it's time to go," Anakin cooed as Luke happily snuggled into his arm.

"I like Mara," he announced.

"She is so small," Padmè commented, shifting Leia up into a comfortable position. Padmè peered into the bacta crib. "What will happen to her?"

"She will remain in the bacta for another four to five standard weeks. Her immune system will strengthen and her lungs will finish developing," Barriss answered with practiced ease.

"And afterward?"

"She will go into the Jedi Youngling Unit and be raised with the other younger Jedi."

"Until she is taken as a padawan," Padmè finished.

Barriss smiled wistfully. "Yes, Madam Skywalker."

Obi-Wan didn't break his gaze from Mara.

"Won't she be lonely?" Padmè asked sadly.

"She will be raised with the other Jedi—she will hardly be alone," Barriss commented. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Master Kenobi, if you could activate Mara's sensor before you leave to attend your debriefing. Master Skywalker, Madam Skywalker; a pleasure."

Anakin bowed as Barriss left the theatre.

"Padmè, I still have to attend the debriefing," Anakin said, placing Luke into the hover-pusher. "I'll be home in about three standard hours."

Padmè nodded as she placed Leia next to her brother.

"Bye baby!" Luke called as Padmè began to guide the pusher out the door. "Baby!" Leia added.

"I'll see you at home, Anakin. Obi-Wan, she is very beautiful," Padmè said and left the theatre.

"Come, Master, the Council is expecting us."

However, Obi-Wan felt reluctant to move from Mara's side. He felt torn—his allegiance was always to the Council and he had already kept them waiting.

_She is beautiful,_ a voice said to him.

"Master?" Anakin prompted.

"I cannot leave her, Anakin," Obi-Wan admitted. "The Force—it is telling me to stay."

_She needs your help, Obi-Wan. _

"I will go to the Council," Anakin offered. "I'll see you in the morning, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan didn't acknowledge Anakin's absence. He pulled up a chair to the crib.

"Hello, Mara. My name is Obi-Wan."

o0o

"He didn't leave, Master Yoda," Barriss Offee related to the aging Jedi Master.

"Worried, he is," Yoda stated as he watched Obi-Wan through the observation panel.

"More than that, Master," the Healer added respectfully. "I think he has formed an attachment with the child."

Yoda nodded in agreement. "No longer fear attachment, the Jedi do."

"Master, do you think..."

Yoda closed his eyes. "The Force surrounds the child."

"Mara," Barriss offered.

Yoda opened his eyes. "Special, she is. Guidance, she will need and Master Kenobi is most experienced."

"Skywalker?"

"Better than a Master, he is. Parent, he should be," Yoda said firmly, gazing at Obi-Wan and Mara. "Will of the Force, it is."

o0o

Anakin opened the door to the theatre early the next morning. "Well you obviously didn't use the sanisteam," he commented dryly, throwing Obi-Wan a new set of robes.

"I couldn't leave," Obi-Wan replied honestly. "I was worried she wouldn't make it through the night."

Anakin smirked. "You know as well as I do that Master Offee has this place running like a well-oiled machine. Zonder told me he'd been in during the night and you didn't even sleep."

"How are the twins?" Obi-Wan asked. "And the debriefing?"

Anakin waved his hand and Mara's datapad flew towards him. He caught it expertly and studied the information—much as he had done when Luke and Leia had been born. "They're fine—a little too excited for my liking. The debriefing was boring, as predicted."

Anakin stopped. "Master, have you looked at Mara's blood analysis?"

Obi-Wan fought a wave of panic. "Is there something wrong?"

Anakin sent a wave of reassurance through the Force to his obviously stressed Master. "No, nothing like that. Take a look at this strain found in her analysis."

Obi-Wan grabbed the datapad and read the information.

"It looks familiar."

Anakin nodded. "I thought so too."

Both men walked towards the data terminal and input the details on the larger screen. "She has a THX-1138 marker in her blood," Anakin confirmed.

"That's quite rare and usually the carriers are Serenno natives," Obi-Wan mused. "Bring up the bloodwork on Marali-Ketana." Obi-Wan scoured the information. "Barriss didn't do an analysis of her blood."

Anakin quickly punched in a code and within seconds, an addition to her file appeared. "Her too," he confirmed. "Obviously the marker is genetic."

"Something feels very strange here, Anakin," Obi-Wan confessed. "The Force is trying to tell us something. There's something important about this marker. What made you think to look for it?"

Anakin shrugged. "It jumped out at me, Master. Like it was something that I should know."

Anakin punched in another code. "I'm doing a cross-reference from the Archives, Master, to see if we get another..."

"Match!" Obi-Wan finished.

An image and a file flashed across the scene. "Shavit," Anakin swore, staring at the picture. "It isn't possible!" He shot Obi-Wan a look. "This can't be possible, can it Master?"

For his part, Obi-Wan felt as if his heart had been torn in two. One side was calm and rational, following the Jedi Code to an exact point. His other side, the side that had sobbed when Qui-Gon and Siri had died, screamed.

"Dooku," he finally croaked out.

"Coincidence?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan hurriedly flicked through the file. "I doubt it, Anakin. The match is too close."

He stared at the screen. "It would appear that Marali-Ketana Jade shares enough genetic material with Dooku to be his biological daughter. She was probably conceived during Dooku's time serving with the Jedi Order. Her mother was likely a native working-class woman, considering her surname."

Comprehension dawned on Anakin. "So Mara is Dooku's biological granddaughter."

They both turned towards the crib in the corner.

"We need to report this," Obi-Wan said, sadness marring his voice. "The Council ought to know."

"Will this affect her training, Master?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "She will be given a fresh start."

"Perhaps, nobody would have to know," Anakin suggested. "I mean, especially Mara. Who would want such a shadow falling over their head? She will already have a fight on her hands, I'm sure of it."

Obi-Wan considered this for a moment. "Are you suggesting altering the official records, Anakin?"

_Yes._

"Of course not, Master."

"And you really believe this will give her the freedom to become the best Jedi she could possibly be?" Obi-Wan probed.

_Yes. _

Without hesitating, Obi-Wan deftly altered the bloodwork analysis. "I cannot believe I just did that."

"Obi-Wan, there was a reason I came down here."

Anakin led Obi-Wan back to the crib and floated the datapad back to his hands. "Master Yoda wished me to extend his congratulations."

Obi-Wan was confused. "Congratulations?"

Anakin proudly held up the datapad. "Master, there's a reason you haven't been able to leave Mara's bedside. I know the feeling. It is with great honour that I announce to you that this is Mara _Kenobi_."

Obi-Wan, the General, the Negotiator, was at a loss for words. Finally, he found his voice. "The Council?"

"By recommendation of Master Yoda, myself and Healer Offee. With a secondary vote by Madam Skywalker."

Obi-Wan looked back down at Mara. She was his.


	4. New Lives

**A/N: **We finally meet our heroine. I'd also like to note that I have changed the age of one character in particular from canon. Think of it as artistic licence. And besides, in this new 'brave new world', anything goes, right? Please enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: New Lives<strong>

_Coruscant—Eighteen Years Later_

Coruscant was bustling. The capital planet was always alive but it seemed brighter today. Eighteen years had done the capital wonders. Older structures had been destroyed and new buildings had gone up, particularly in the seedier lower levels.

The Jedi Temple had minor restorations, to accommodate the growing number of Jedi family units joining the Order. Instead of single sleeping quarters, the Order had installed state-of-the-art family-sized apartments, both attached to the Temple and in the greater Coruscant area. With the Jedi Code officially altered to accept and promote family relationships, the Jedi population had steadily increased to pre-war numbers. The Order was thriving.

Fifteen years ago another amendment had been made to allow members an 'escape clause' in order to ensure anyone who left the Order, did so without repercussions or negativity. Leia Skywalker had opted to leave the Order to pursue a career in politics, much to the chagrin of her father and Master, Aayla Secura.

Luke had opted to stay, under the tutelage of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Committed to besting Luke Skywalker at any given moment, Mara Kenobi had also remained, under the watchful eye of Anakin Skywalker.

Mara grumbled as she walked through the Halls of Healing. She had drawn Healer duty for the month and unfortunately, Master Offee was off-world, which left Master Zonder in charge of the birthing unit.

The only redeeming quality of pulling the Healing Duty was seeing newly Knighted Cilghal on a regular basis. Mara missed her; even more now that The Void was back to practically molest Luke's face at any given moment.

Mara was careful to shield her emotions around them both, lest Luke assume that she actually _cared_ about who he decided to suck face with. Which she didn't. Sighing, she checked her chrono.

_Enjoying duty?_ Mara heard her Master's voice.

_Get out of my head!_ Mara replied. _And for your information, birthing babies is __**exactly**__ what I had in mind to fill my time before taking my trials._

She rounded the corner and fought the urge to smack something as Anakin's laughter rang through her head.

_Patience, young one. Learn some. _

"Kriff you," Mara muttered as she opened the door, revealing a mildly irritated Mon Calamari.

"Mara," she admonished. "That is no way for a young lady to be speaking!"

Mara shrugged and floated the proffered datapad into her hands. "Last I checked I was studying to become a Jedi, not wasting my time at a pompous finishing school."

Cilghal huffed. "Well there's no reason you can't use some manners once in a while. I hope you don't speak that way on your missions with your Master."

Mara sighed. "Serenity now." She peered at the datapad. "Besides, I recall a certain Mon Cal padawan learner who wasn't particularly averse to using the word 'kriff' every now and then," Mara pointed out.

"You've made your point, Kenobi," Cilghal replied diplomatically. Mara grinned.

"So can I opt out of the bedpan duty?" she asked hopefully. Cilghal replied by placing more datapads into Mara's less-than-welcoming outstretched hands.

"There are three women currently in early stages of labour," the Mon Calamari said as she directed Mara towards the door. "And Master Zonder is with Karala Ventall."

Mara's eyes widened. "The Twi'lek?"?

Cilghal nodded. "Lucky for you, she'll be delivering before your shift is over. Master Zonder has also requested you be present and in his words, 'ready with a cleaning droid'."

A familiar yet unwelcome voice came floating through the Admin Wing. "Twi'leks births are notoriously messy if I remember correctly."

Mara's shields flew up and she attempted to wipe the grimace from her face.

"Jedi Masana," Cilghal greeted warmly. "I had no idea you were back on Coruscant."

Callista bowed her head and Mara fought the urge to vomit all over her polite, Jedi head. "Hello Cilghal. I only arrived a few hours ago. I've just finished debriefing with the Council. I'm just here for a check-up."

"Of course," Cilghal replied brightly and motioned for Callista to sit. "Please, it will only take a moment."

Mara couldn't help but glare at the older Jedi. A few months ago, Luke, her closest friend and most fierce competition for the past eighteen years of her life; had dragged her to the beautiful gardens at the Temple. Mara remembered feeling uncharacteristically nervous as he excitedly led her down the winding path.

Instead of hearing something much more pleasant to her ears, Skywalker had promptly had verbal diarrhoea and confessed he was seeing the older Jedi. Older was certainly an understatement. Thinking back, Mara was unsure how she had managed to sit so still and pretend to be interested. In reality, Mara had felt like slapping, kissing and vomiting all over Luke after that particular announcement.

She had eventually related two of the three to him.

After two hours of begging and pleading, Mara had finally agreed to keep their dirty little secret. It wasn't that Callista was bad—Mara grudgingly accepted that she was a fierce and loyal Jedi. She was always calm and polite and rarely spoke out of turn. The only thing she had against her was the fact that she was _seriously_ old and had managed to turn Mara's best friend in the entire galaxy into a pile of lovesick bantha poodoo.

Cilghal noticed Mara's staring and gave her a gentle nudge. "Mara, Master Zonder is waiting."

"Pulled bedpan duty, Mara?" Callista asked sympathetically. Mara simply raised her eyebrows in response.

Cilghal turned away to input Callista's details into the terminal in the adjoining office and Callista gently tugged Mara closer to her ear.

"Tell him to meet me at the Siika Apartments at 18:00," Callista whispered.

Mara had found herself in the most unfortunate position of having to pass along secret messages of times and places for very non-Jedi approved sneaky behaviour.

"I'm not your dating service," Mara snapped, momentarily forgetting that Callista was her superior.

Callista looked hurt for a moment and then smiled brightly. "Please?"

Mara stared for what felt like an eternity. Sure, the woman was _boring_ but Luke was clearly taken with her. Perhaps if she had Luke's ear for an hour or two she'd be able to enjoy herself and Anakin would leave her in peace. Mara brightened at the idea.

"Fine," she grumbled. Mara leant in closer. "But you have to get me out of bedpan duty."

Callista smirked. "That's not very Jedi-like of you, Mara. Perhaps I need to have a word with your Master."

Mara leaned in closer to Callista, forgetting all sense of respect and propriety and pushing away Master Yoda's lessons about etiquette.

"I would also think that my Master would be very interested to see exactly whom his only son is kriffing."

Silence filled the room and Mara felt a smug satisfaction.

"My apologies, Padawan Jade," Callista said loudly, all while eyeing Mara up and down. "I neglected to inform you that the Council has requested your presence immediately. Your father will be particularly disturbed to know that you are late."

"Master Cilghal?" Mara called out. Cilghal's fin-like hand shot out the door.

"Just leave them there, Mara. Master Zonder will catch up with you later!"

Mara dropped the datapads unceremoniously next to the med droid. "Master Masana," Mara said, bowing respectfully. "I shall inform my father that you, ah, _received_ his message."

Callista's eyes narrowed and Mara swore she saw the faint ghost of annoyance behind the grey. Callista opened her mouth and finally said, "May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Mara replied and within seconds, she was out the door. 

o0o 

At the best of times, Mara found that most of the Jedi who were scattered throughout the Temple were slow. Jedi had the fastest reflexes in the galaxy but time after time, they simply took leisurely strolls around the Temple. Mara didn't like to be slow. She was quick and she wanted to be able to use her speed and flexibility while she was still young enough to do so.

She shot a quick look at her chrono. Seeing as she had escaped bedpan duty, she had the rest of the afternoon free. She smiled, knowing that Luke was about to go off-world with her father tomorrow, so as soon as their briefing was finished, they would have a few glorious uninterrupted hours. Until her father summoned her for their evening 'family meal' and Luke ran off to make dirty with the cradle-snatcher.

As Mara rounded the corner, her thoughts about Luke and his current paramour filled her mind and she didn't notice the figure rounding the corner from the other side.

She thumped into the figure and could have smacked herself with her own lightsaber when she realised it was her father.

"Mara, Jedi do not rush," he huffed as straightened his tunic. His lightsaber dangled from his belt and Mara wished it had sliced her head open.

"Dad," she greeted warily.

Obi-Wan folded his arms and eyed her up and down. "And where exactly are you going? Doesn't that Master of yours get anything through your stubborn brain?"

Passing Jedi tried to hide their smirks and laughter as Obi-Wan began to stroke his mismatched white and auburn beard. "Honestly, I thought I was leaving you in good hands," he mused.

Often, Mara found her father charming, wise and adorable. Today, however, he was simply being a nuisance. Mara cringed when she realised her shields had leaked.

"A nuisance!"

"Sorry Daddy," Mara started, knowing full well that he usually caved quicker than a gundark when she buttered him up. "You could never be a nuisance. Master Skywalker has me training extra hard on lightsaber practice and I'm scheduled for some free time. I was just on my way to the gardens to see Luke."

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. "Lying is of the Dark Side, young one. Besides, shouldn't you be on bedpan, rather Healing Duty?"

Mara shook her head. "I was excused." That part wasn't a lie. "And what with you and Skywalker leaving tomorrow, I was just worried that I wouldn't get to spend any time with either of you."

Obi-Wan's eyes softened. "Oh alright. Just make sure you aren't late. We're going to be eating with the Skywalkers tonight instead of here."

"I'll _try_, Dad."

Obi-Wan broke out into a grin. "That's my girl. I'll see you later."

Mara waved as she continued her path to the gardens.


	5. Cross My Heart

**A/N: **WOW**,** it looks like the introduction of Callista certainly got under a lot of people's skin! She won't be around forever, promise. Loved it? Hated it? Drop me a review and let your feelings flow. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Cross My Heart<strong>

"What has two arms, two legs and smells like a gundark in heat?"

Mara laughed as Luke's eyes crinkled in confusion. "It's called, 'use a sanisteam once in a while', Skywalker."

"Like you can talk. You've been in the Halls, haven't you?"

Mara shot him a glare. "Shut up," she snapped, taking a moment to discreetly sniff herself. She yanked out her braid and fluffed her thick, red hair. "Ugh, finally."

Luke stretched out. Mara watched the way his small padawan braid flicked back and forth as he tried to become comfortable.

"So I hear you're leaving in the morning. What's a girl to think?" Mara protested as she sat in her meditation pose directly in front of Luke. He grinned in response.

"Are you gonna miss me, Mini-Kenobi?"

"As much as your Uncle Owen misses sand," Mara retorted. "And shut up," she added.

"All jokes aside, I think this might be it," Luke said sincerely. Mara felt anxiety and excitement flow through Luke's signature in the Force.

"Your trials?"

Luke and Mara had long been speculating when Luke would finally sit his trials. They had questioned their respective fathers and Masters and neither Jedi Master had been willing to confirm or deny. Despite being friends for years, Mara could honestly deem Luke one of the most dedicated and powerful Jedi in the Order. He had topped his classes as a youngling, been the model padawan for her father, fought in two civil wars and assisted in three peace negotiations.

Mara was surprised he wasn't a Knight already.

A small, selfish part of her wanted Luke to be held back as a padawan. As soon as the title of Knight was conferred upon Luke, he would be able to do things like leave Coruscant when he wanted and take a padawan of his own. Unlike Mara, who would be stuck here, learning and re-learning basic saber techniques when all she wanted to do was _run_, and run very fast.

Mara squashed the selfish part of her and let the Force fill her with happiness for her friend. "Dad hasn't said anything but he seemed to be okay with me shirking bedpan duty to come and visit you. So it's either trial prep or Kenobi's become addicted to death sticks."

Luke laughed and Mara tried to ignore the way his cheeks flushed when he was happy. Mara closed her eyes and used Luke's obvious happiness to connect with the Force. "Your sister won't be too happy," Mara warned, thinking about Leia.

Luke followed suit and closed his eyes. "It's not my fault," he protested. "She's the one who decided to pursue a career in politics. And she's off-world enough herself. She needs to learn to not to stick her nose where it doesn't belong."

Mara chuckled. "Isn't that what politicians do best? Besides, she'll be at dinner tonight. You can say your piece then."

Mara felt Luke tense. "Family dinner is tonight?"

Mara nodded enthusiastically. "I hear nerf steak's on the menu," she said brightly, slightly concerned about Luke's lack of interest about the impending family dinner. She then moved from concerned to irritated.

"Family gatherings not good enough for you now, Skywalker?" Mara snapped.

Luke had the decency to look sheepish. "Callista's back today," he confessed, his eyes still closed.

Mara felt a million snide comments about Luke's cradle-snatching girlfriend on the tip of her tongue. Mara forced her shields up and unsuccessfully planted a look of encouragement on her face.

"And?"

Even with her shields up, Mara could tell when she had pushed too far.

Mara could always tell.

Luke shook his head and his eyes shot open. "Is it too much to ask for a little support, Mara?"

"Support?" Mara screeched, prompting a padawan in the section next to theirs to glare disapprovingly. "I've done nothing but support you and that..."

Luke's eyes blazed uncharacteristically. "That what, Kenobi?"

"That, that..._Void_!"

"I thought I asked you to stop calling her that!" Luke whined, standing up and refusing to help Mara rise to her own feet. Mara grunted and stood up of her own accord.

"Believe me, Skywalker, I have a few other colourful phrases for her, that's for sure."

"Stang you can be difficult, sometimes," Luke muttered as Mara tied her hair back roughly, leaving several strands poking out unevenly.

"Difficult! Me?"

Mara could feel the Force pulse around her—however, it was different somehow. Normally the Force felt tangible and it soothed her to her very core. This feeling felt different, like a warning heat before a raging fire.

Mara tried to push away the feeling and got closer to Luke. "You listen here, Skywalker. I've been nothing but generous when it comes to you and that boring, cradle-snatching _void_ of a woman! I could have turned you in weeks ago but seeing as you are my friend, I decided to keep my mouth shut!"

"Certainly a feat for the great Mara Kenobi!"

"You really need to think about whom you're speaking to, Luke Skywalker," Mara seethed. "And I'll have you know that I could have not told you that your vapid excuse for a girlfriend is already back!"

Luke's eyes softened and he visibly relaxed, some enthusiasm returning to his demeanour. "You've seen her?"

_Kriff_, Mara thought. _In for a credit, in for a thousand._

"See? I'm helpful," Mara huffed, adjusting her tunic and brushing away some rogue dirt on her pants. "She wants you to meet her at the Siika Apartments at 18:00," Mara added against her better judgement.

Luke's eyes lit up and Mara felt a wave of anger and sadness pass over her. She drew on the comfort of the Force as Luke put his hand on her shoulder. She didn't have to ask him as a curious look passed over his slightly adorable blonde features.

"Yes," Mara sighed. "I'm not sending you on a wild bantha chase."

Luke checked his chrono. "Shavit, I'm going to be late for dinner then." He looked at Mara hopefully. "Could you...?"

"Lie to your Master, parents and sister while you go and kriff your girlfriend for an hour?" she snarked.

Luke almost looked hurt.

Mara sighed, massaging her temples. He _did_ looked hurt—crushed even. Her father had warned her that her acerbic tongue might get her into trouble one day. Still, Luke was her best friend. He didn't know that Mara was fighting off the urge to throw away the Jedi Code and slap Callista repeatedly every time her cradle-snatching mouth went anywhere near Luke.

It was Mara's fault that Luke didn't know just how much Callista's presence bothered her. He probably never would. So Mara would do the honourable Jedi thing and lie through her teeth, because that was what Mara always did.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she started. "I'll hold them off, but you'll only have about an hour. And no promises when it comes to Leia," she warned. "If she chooses to check your twin bond at the wrong moment, that's all on you, buddy."

Luke broke out into a grin. "Thanks Mara," he said warmly. "I owe you one."

Mara simply glared. "I might have the decency to bring my boyfriend home to meet the family, Skywalker. I certainly wouldn't need any favours from _you_."

Luke laughed and placed a well-meaning kiss on her forehead. "Thanks Mara. May the Force be with you."

o0o

Mara and Obi-Wan arrived at precisely 18:00.

"Master Obi-Wan," Threepio greeted as Mara shoved her cloak into the waiting droid's hands. "Oh, Mara, nice to see you too."

"No need for pleasantries," Mara said and stalked into the sitting room.

"My apologies, Threepio," Obi-Wan said. "Mara is a little upset that I'm leaving in the morning."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Really busted up, Dad," she called back as she entered the lounging area to come face-to-face with Captain Han Solo.

"Hey Kenobi!"

Mara normally tolerated the cocky captain for Leia's sake but after her failed meditation session with Luke, Mara's less-than-stellar patience was already on edge.

"Solo," she said evenly, sidestepping him and peering down the hallway. "Where's Leia?"

He waved her off. "With her mother in the other room. I have a new one for you," he exclaimed proudly.

"I'm going to stop you right there, Solo," Mara warned. "I may be a Jedi but you know for a fact that I do not have a regular Jedi temper."

Han simply grinned in response. "Can't be worse than Anakin's."

"I would rather think you'd taken to calling him, Master Skywalker," Obi-Wan commented dryly as he walked in, cradling a drink. "Besides, are you sure you've met my daughter before?"

Anakin chose that moment to walk in. "Mara," he acknowledged. "Master, couldn't you have waited until dinner?"

Mara rolled her eyes at her father and Master as they began to bicker, which was fairly standard for family gatherings. Mara refused to engage Solo in any manner and sat at the empty table in her usual spot. She tried to ignore the nagging feeling in her head when she stole a look at Luke's spot next to her.

"Where's Luke?" a voice interrupted her.

Mara fought off a smile as Leia practically ignored her boyfriend and sat in a rather unladylike manner across from Mara.

Mara clamped down on her shields with as much strength as she could. "He'll be here. He had some things to take care of."

_Very charitable_, Mara thought. _Taking care of the elderly_.

Leia's face remained neutral, apart from a single, perfect eyebrow which rose to its full height on her face. "Oh?"

Han had finally had enough so he joined them on the table. "He'll be here," he said gruffly, taking Anakin's seat at the head of the table.

"Move," Anakin grunted without even turning around.

Mara smiled smugly as Han manoeuvred into the available seat next to Leia.

"Your dad's a tough nut to crack," he complained conspiratorially.

"Maybe if you weren't kriffing his only daughter," Mara replied, smiling sweetly. "Perhaps if you weren't such a scoundrel, he might've warmed to the idea!"

"Scoundrel!"

"Mara!" Leia admonished.

Mara shrugged and tossed her thick, red hair over her shoulder. "He knows I'm joking."

_Or not_, Mara sent to Leia, as she put her legs up on the table and wiggled her eyebrows at the pair.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't do those Jedi mind games," Han protested lightly. "And where's Goldenrod? Dinner hasn't even started and I really need a drink."

Mara quickly removed her legs from the table as Padmè walked into the dining area.

"Mara," she greeted warmly, gently squeezing Mara's shoulder as she passed through.

Padmè doted on Mara constantly and Mara had the feeling that she was always trying to compensate for the lack of mother in her life. The truth was, Mara rarely felt like she was missing out. Her father had always provided for her and what she didn't get from him, she got from the Skywalker family unit. Mara knew growing up that she wanted to be a Jedi and use the Force and she had always found comfort in that on those lonely nights at the Temple when her father was off-world.

Padmè poked her head into the area where the men, minus Solo, were discussing the finer art of betting on Nexu races.

"Anakin? Master Windu is on the holo for you."

Obi-Wan frowned. "What in blazes do they want at this hour?"

Anakin gave him a wry smile. "A Jedi's work is never done, Master."

Anakin turned to Han. "You make sure you do _not_ get in my chair while I'm gone."

"Dad!"

"Anakin!"

Mara grinned as she shuffled to make room for her father on the other side, still attempting to ignore the vast emptiness that was symbolised by the seat beside her.

"He's just trying to get you on purpose," Leia soothed as Padmè took her space at the other end of the table, motioning for Threepio to start bringing out dinner.

"Pay no attention to my husband, Han," Padmè added. "He's just sour that our baby is all grown up."

Mara fought back a snort as Leia projected exactly what she thought of her mother's sentiments.

"They do grow up quickly," Obi-Wan agreed, stealing a glance at Mara. Mara rolled her eyes and attempted to change the topic.

"Can you tell us where you're going tomorrow, Dad?" Mara asked innocently, knowing full well that her father wasn't at liberty to say.

Mara felt his shields strengthen and noticed that tiny crinkle around his eyes when he was withholding information from her. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Anakin's presence filled the room.

All eyes went to Anakin. Mara felt the Force hum around him. It was clear Obi-Wan felt the same overwhelming insistence of the Force. Even Leia, who didn't have the same amount of training as the rest of them, felt a distinct spike in the Force around them.

"The Council?" Padmè asked sadly.

Anakin smiled at her apologetically. "I'm so sorry everyone."

"Is it urgent, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Master Windu has requested myself and Mara report immediately to Council chambers."

Mara felt the Force speak to her as everyone, bar Han, frowned at their ruined evening.

"Whatever for?" Obi-Wan continued.

"Have Threepio keep serving dinner. Luke will be here soon, send him off with Skywalker style," he said, planting a soft kiss on Padmè's head.

"You're leaving, Master Anakin?"

Mara stood from her seat. "And you are taking Mistress Mara with you? I have prepared nerf steak!"

Anakin placed a hand on the golden droid. "Sorry Threepio."

"Well, it's been nice..." Mara started as everyone stood to walk them out.

"Will you be going off-world?" Leia asked anxiously. "Luke is leaving tomorrow..."

"Council business, Leia," Anakin affirmed, hugging his only daughter. "We'll let you know."

As Anakin prepared his speeder, Obi-Wan stood next to Mara. "Be careful, young one," he whispered.

"I will, Dad."

"Listen to Anakin."

"Yes Dad."

"He is your Master, Mara."

Mara finally turned to face him. "Dad—I'll miss you too. I'll send you a holo when we have received our assignment." She extended her arms and gave her father a brief hug.

"May the Force be with you," he said as Mara climbed into the passenger seat.

Mara looked longingly at the Skywalker residence as Anakin started the speeder.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Even though she knew not to expect a reply, it still hurt as Mara sent through a final message to Luke before he left.

_Goodbye and good luck.  
><em>


	6. Doubt

**Chapter Five- Doubt**

Mara couldn't help but scowl as she made her way through the familiar corridors of the Jedi Temple. Darkness had finally captured the city planet and the billions of lights mocked her from the windows. She was supposed to be having a family dinner, not being dragged along with her Master.

Luke would probably be at home right now, enjoying tender nerf steak alongside her father and the rest of the Skywalker clan. Her thoughts bled into the Force and Anakin shot her a forced smile.

"Whatever it is, it has to be important," he stressed as they finally reached the entry to the Council chambers.

Mara knew she was acting childish. The Jedi acted as the moral compass for the galaxy and Mara normally felt extremely privileged to act on their behalf. However, as she finally reached adulthood, she was often unable to shake the feeling that perhaps the Jedi had many more secrets than those of the Jedi Council.

"Well, you and Dad weren't called for session, so it can't be that bad," Mara reasoned.

"Rather logical, Mara."

Mara noted the way her Master, who was normally rather upbeat in her presence and with her training as a whole, faltered slightly before going into the room. Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi Master, he was the hero of the Clone Wars. Apart from her father, he was the most fearless man in the galaxy. Now, looking at him, she had the tiniest sliver of doubt.

Mara gently probed her Master with the Force and found Anakin's mental shields reflecting every attempt of hers to try and understand what had caused his change in demeanour.

In a rare moment of weakness, Mara suddenly felt frightened as to what lay behind the doors.

Anakin finally regained his composure and forcefully pushed the Council doors open by hand. Mara followed suit and dutifully bowed to the Masters as they entered the Council chambers. Mara mentally processed the fact that Master Windu appeared via holo and only four other Jedi Masters were present.

"Master Skywalker, Kenobi," Master Windu greeted them as they approached the centre circle.

Yoda sat in his usual spot, his white hair hanging limply over his ears. He still clutched his walking stick as his eyes assessed the two Jedi in front of him. Mara had a lot of respect for the ageing Jedi Master but she couldn't help wondering whether he was hanging on when the Force was really trying to tell him it was his time to go.

Mara bowed respectfully. "Masters."

"Master Windu, you contacted us?" Anakin asked.

"I have just made contact from Galliespied with the senator from Serenno," he stated.

Mara wracked her brain trying to remember where she had heard the name of the planet before.

Anakin subconsciously straightened his back.

"Willing to open up negotiations, Count Belku is," Yoda stated.

The name finally clicked with Mara. "The Jedi haters!" she blurted out.

Mara wasn't quite sure, but she could have sworn that Master Koon frowned at her. She certainly didn't miss Master Windu's glare from the holo.

"And seeing as how you and Kenobi were the last to conduct negotiations there, they have requested your presence," Shaak Ti added.

Mara took the opportunity to study her Master as the rest of the Council members listened to Shaak Ti talk about the situation on Serenno. Anakin looked deep in thought about the issue. However, Mara felt uneasy. Anakin was clearly troubled about something. The fact that he was shielding so heavily spoke volumes. The Force pulsed around everyone and Mara fought to keep silent.

Shaak Ti finally stopped speaking and Mara turned her attention back to the Council.

"Understand you do, this is of great importance," Yoda stressed. "Good relations, we _must_ keep. Take away the trade rights they might, if we do not tread carefully."

"I understand Master."

"You will have to leave as soon as possible," Master Windu added. "We understand that Luke and Obi-Wan leave for Mon Calamari tomorrow..."

"Luke will do his duty," Anakin stated, leaving the second part unsaid.

_As will I._

"Very well then. They are expecting you," Master Windu finished.

To Mara, this signalled the end of the meeting and she bowed. Anakin didn't budge.

"Masters, I am formally requesting that I go to Serenno alone and my padawan, Mara Kenobi, remain behind on Coruscant."

Mara spun around to make sure that she hadn't wandered into an alternate reality.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Anakin ignored her and directed his sight to his colleagues on the Council.

"For what reason?" Plo Koon asked.

Mara thought back to the past few weeks. They had come back from a standard mission to Brentaal. Nothing had been amiss—in fact, Anakin had seemed proud of what she had accomplished in the trade update. They had spent the rest of their time in the Temple, practicing meditation and she had _nearly_ bested him in saber practice. She was positive that she hadn't done anything to upset him. The Force pulsed again as she stared at her Master incredulously, allowing her emotions to crash over her now unattended shields.

Mara knew Anakin felt her anger, hurt and betrayal and from the looks of the rest of the Council members, they could as well.

"Mara has learnt a great deal but she is not ready for negotiations of such magnitude."

"Hmm, interesting, this is," Yoda interjected, staring at the once harmonious Master and apprentice. "Do not trust your padawan, do you, Skywalker?"

Anakin kept a straight face and didn't dare react to Mara. "Not with such an important Jedi business, Masters."

Mara felt like her whole world was about to crumble. "You don't _trust_ me?" she screeched. "What have I ever done to deserve your distrust, Master?"

"Kenobi!" Master Windu scolded from half way across the galaxy.

"Masters, you have trusted me to sit on this council with you for seventeen years. My judgement has not led you astray," Anakin responded, ignoring Mara's outburst. "It is my judgement that Mara remain on-planet. Perhaps Ahsoka will continue her training while I am off-world..."

"No!" Mara exclaimed.

"Knight Tano is on Vandor-3 securing healing supplies," Shaak Ti advised.

"Your reports on Mara's progress have indicated she is exceptionally strong in the Force," Ki-Adi-Mundi finally spoke up. "She has shown a dedication to the Force and to all elements of the Jedi training, including fostering diplomacy. We feel this is a perfect opportunity for Mara."

"I disagree," Anakin continued. "Her attitude may cause disruption with the negotiations."

Mara knew that her rough attitude sometimes hindered her progress as a Jedi, but Anakin had never insinuated that it could lead her down a path of disruption. Her anger and hurt slightly tainted her perception of the Force and she was unable to tell whether Anakin's protests were genuine.

"Said that about _you_, we have, young Skywalker," Yoda pointed out, pointing his stick at Anakin for emphasis. "Mara, what have to say, do you?" Everyone's attention turned to Mara, including Anakin's. "Hmm? Ready, do you feel?"

"I _am_ ready, Master Yoda," Mara replied hotly, stepping closer to the Council. "I have done nothing but support my Master in every mission we have undertaken. I might be a little tough personally, but I have always shown compassion and decorum as a Jedi. If the Serenno mission is important, then I am ready to serve my duty as a Jedi."

"Mara..." Anakin started.

"I am ready!" Mara screeched, feeling her face grow hot.

Silence invaded the chambers.

"I'm ready," Mara whispered, more to Anakin who had finally tilted his head to look at her. A look of regret and sadness brushed across his features and Mara finally realised just how much Anakin and Luke looked alike.

"Agree with Mara, the Council does," Yoda confirmed.

A wave of sadness passed over Mara that it had come to this. "Thank you, Masters," she replied dutifully.

"Contact me when you have arrived at Serenno. The Senator is expecting you," Master Windu directed at Anakin.

"May the Force be with you," Plo Koon said, effectively dismissing both Anakin and Mara from the Council chambers.

Anakin was first to move and he was out of the doors in an instant. Mara watched him leave for a split second before remembering that she was supposed to follow him.

Her emotions were warring inside of her and at this point, Mara didn't even care that she was unable to shield them. Her Master had practically announced to the Jedi Council that he found her crass, untrustworthy and ill-equipped to be his apprentice through any mission. He had even tried to pawn her off onto Ahsoka—and while Mara enjoyed her company, she hadn't signed up for training with her. She had signed up for training with _Anakin Skywalker_.

Anakin refused to look at her as she trailed him to the Temple's port.

"What was _that_ all about?" Mara called out, sending him a wave of confusion through the Force.

"Leave it, Kenobi," Anakin said firmly, not slowing down.

Mara hated being ignored and quickened her pace to match his. "Leave it? You tried to leave me behind, that's not exactly normal behaviour!"

Anakin stopped in his tracks and finally faced Mara. Mara had never seen him so troubled. She had heard the stories of how the great Anakin Skywalker threw off the shroud of the Dark Side and defeated the Sith. However, for her whole life, she had known him as Uncle Anakin and then Master and he had always, _always_ been on her side.

Until now.

The hour was late, so the corridor was empty. Anakin's eyes held regret and sadness that not even the Force could mask. It struck Mara's very core but she still refused to accept that what her Master had just done was acceptable.

"I don't think you're ready Mara," he repeated. "I know your father has spoken to you about...what nearly happened all those years ago, with the Chancellor."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Mara scoffed.

"Here, in the safety of the Jedi Temple, we do not speak too much of the Dark Side," Anakin continued. "I have felt the Dark Side, Mara, and it is strong. Stronger than you could ever imagine. It fills your very soul and although there is always that one beacon of light, it is cast in shadow. Anger and fear can lead you down that path, Mara."

For once, Mara had nothing to say.

"I have been to Serenno, Mara. Dark things breed there. The kind of things that play on your anger and your hate, the kind of things that invade your soul and stay there."

Anakin placed a hand on her shoulder and Mara flinched.

"I don't want that for you."

Finally, Mara found her voice. "How will I ever become all I can be if you hide me in the shadows, Master? You say dark things breed there? The Light will always show us the way. _I can do this_."

Anakin squeezed her shoulder. "You no longer have any choice."


	7. Returning

**Chapter Six: Returning**

Mara and Anakin hadn't yet spoken on board the _Skyheart_, Anakin's personal ship. The ship felt empty without Artoo's familiar beeping and the silence filled Mara with a sense of dread.

The trip to Serenno was about three days and Mara was glad that they were going to dock in a matter of hours. Her thoughts had strayed numerous times to her father and Luke who had likely already reached Mon Calamari. She hadn't been able to speak to Luke, but she had sent her father a brief message through the Holonet system on board the ship.

Anakin had left her in the cockpit to fly the last leg of the journey. Mara had flown the _Skyheart_ many a time and had no trouble programming the autopilot without Artoo's assistance. Mara adjusted her boots and propped her legs up. She began to wonder whether Luke was about to undergo his trials. Next time she saw him, he would probably be a Knight.

Despite Luke's recent choices, Mara honestly wanted what was best for him. It had been hard to see him fall so drastically for another woman. When they had been younger, their families had always joked about them getting together. They had balked at the idea at the time but somewhere along the way, Mara had actually given the idea some thought.

And she most certainly had a change of heart.

As thoughts of Luke played in her mind, Mara heard the soft hum of the holo activating in the captain's quarters. Mara doubled-checked the autopilot and crept back to the edge of the cockpit. With the Force, Mara enhanced her hearing. It was a sneaky trick that Anakin didn't even know she knew.

"Master," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan's unmistakable voice crackled through the holo.

"_Anakin_," he greeted.

"Master, we have a situation. It seems that our friend, the senator from Serenno has had a change of heart about the Jedi situation."

Mara heard her father breathe a sigh of relief.

"_That is most intriguing_," he replied. "_You're on your way now?"_

"Yes Master. With Mara."

There was a long pause and Mara felt her heart speed up.

"_She's with you?"_

Anakin sighed. "Yes. I requested she stay behind on Coruscant. The Council disagreed."

"_I bet Mara did too_," Obi-Wan replied, a tired and worried edge to his already crackling voice over the holo.

"This isn't a good idea," Anakin stressed. "I can feel it. I've been feeling it for days. Something isn't right."

"_I have felt it too."_

Mara thought back to the strange tremors she had been feeling in the Force. All her fears came rushing back into her.

_There's something they're not telling me._

"I will do my best to protect her, Master. But there is only so much I can do. This place—you remember."

Another pause. "_We have to hope, Anakin, that old ghosts don't linger."_

A soft beeping from the front of the cockpit suddenly sounded. Mara cursed inwardly and raced back as quickly and quietly as possible. Thoughts attacked her and she felt as if her small world was closing. All Mara had ever known was her life with her father and her life as a Jedi. Her father, _her own father_, and her Master were clearly hiding something from her. And whatever it was, it was big enough for Anakin to want to ground her.

The beeping started to become insistent and Mara drew her full attention away from the clandestine discussion between her Master and her father. Mara looked at the panel.

_Going to Mon Cal. This is it. I'll see you when we both get back. Good luck._

Unfortunately, not even Luke's impending trials could take her mind off the sense of impending doom she felt awaited her on Serenno.

o0o

Mara had opted to meditate for the remainder of the journey and Anakin found her in this position when he finally entered the cockpit. Mara made a point of ignoring Anakin until they finally docked.

A clear and irritated voice sounded over the ship's comm system.

"Unidentified vessel, state your docking licence and purpose."

Anakin leant back and watched Mara scramble to bring up the information.

"Ground Control, this is the _Skyheart_ requesting to dock on Indefinite Licence 099-7-12-88."

There was a pause and Mara hoped that the Jedi haters hadn't suddenly changed their minds.

"State your business, _Skyheart,_" the voice returned, sounding even more irritated. "And your cargo," he added as an afterthought.

"We have business with Senator Belku. Our cargo are only passengers—Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker and Padawan Mara Kenobi."

There was another lengthy pause and it set Mara on edge.

"Jedi," his voice finally patched through, channelling as much disgust as he probably felt.

"Yes sir, Jedi," Mara replied, barely keeping her contempt out of her own voice. Anakin stopped staring at the comm unit and turned his attention to Mara instead.

_Please contain your feelings, young one. It won't do to have even the ground staff wanting to dismember us with our own sabers._

"The Senator's office has validated your clearance. You are cleared for Docking Bay Twenty-Three."

The comm shut down and Anakin breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's time."

o0o

Mara wasn't sure what to expect when she set foot on the planet, but Mara certainly didn't expect such a place filled with dichotomy wherever she looked. It was more than that too—Mara could almost feel the warring aspects of the Serenno system running through her veins.

The spaceport was stationed very close to the city centre and the short walk allowed Mara to run through what she could see.

Unlike Coruscant, Serenno was mostly built on ground level. The inhabitants looked average—humans, Chiss and Twi'leks all appeared in nearly equal numbers so close to the city centre. Mara spied various other species in the throng of beings too.

Mostly, the citizens noticed her and Anakin. Mara plastered her most approachable and friendly face on and tried to focus on the Force. Her lightsaber hung from her belt and while normally most people's eyes went straight to her bright red hair, many citizens couldn't seem to tear their eyes away from her weapon.

A small child made eye contact with her and Mara returned the gaze with a smile.

"Hello!"

The child immediately averted her eyes and hid into what Mara assumed was her mother's long dress.

"They seem to fear us, Master."

Anakin nodded in response. "Many years ago Serenno was one of the most supportive planets of the Republic. However, after a Jedi went rogue and left the Order and claimed his right as a Count, they were dragged into the Clone Wars as Separatists. Anti-Jedi, well more accurately, anti-Force propaganda spread quickly."

"Hence the ban on taking Force-sensitives," Mara surmised. She looked around as Anakin walked up to a speeder rental place.

"Exactly," Anakin replied, taking out Republican credits, placing them on the counter. As Anakin organised the speeder, his voice sounded clearly in her head.

_Don't be fooled though, young one. We know for a fact that the system doesn't produce too many Force-sensitive citizens. _

Mara was puzzled.

_How can you know for sure?_

_The Council stretches further than you know, Mara._

Mara turned to face Anakin, but found him engrossed in a conversation with the merchant.

The Force tingled and Mara suddenly caught sight of a dark haired man across the street. She frowned as he looked around to check if he was being followed and promptly disappeared into the shady looking alley.

Anakin's gruff thank you to the merchant snapped Mara out of it and she stared at the rented landspeeder.

"Hunk of junk," she commented as she jumped into the landspeeder.

"Best they were willing to give Jedi, anyway," Anakin conceded. "Besides, most of this system's wealth belongs to the aristocracy."

"The Counts, right?"

Mara recalled reading up on them on one of her longer shifts in the _Skyheart_. Another fact finally dawned on Mara.

"Dooku. He's the rogue Jedi you're talking about, isn't he?" she finally asked.

A strange look passed over Anakin's face and Mara knew that most other people would have missed it.

But Mara wasn't other people.

"Yes," Anakin finally answered. "He's the one who came back."

"But Master, wasn't Count Dooku a Sith?" Mara demanded as she reversed the landspeeder out of the merchant's stall. The same feeling she had experienced on board the _Skyheart _surfaced. The conversation between Anakin and Obi-Wan still had not left her mind.

"He was," Anakin replied in a clipped tone.

A silence passed between them as Mara expertly steered the landspeeder out of the city centre.

"You killed him, Master."

Anakin kept facing forward. "The world is full of light and dark, Mara. Everyone has both. It's your choices that shape who you are. I killed a Sith. There is honour in saving the galaxy from tyranny. There is little honour in murder. I am wise enough now to know the difference."

Mara disagreed and didn't fail to say so. "Nobody can be both Master. The Force is very clear about it. The Jedi are good and the Sith are evil. End of story."

From her peripheral vision, Mara saw Anakin look at her, sadness clouding his eyes.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."


	8. Afraid of the Dark

**Chapter Seven: Afraid of the Dark**

After five standard hours, a break was called and Mara felt relief wash over her. She hadn't expected the negotiations to be so intense. Senator Belku's staff had greeted them and within the minute they had been faced with several Counts, a representative from the Trade Federation, a prominent Serenno Worker's Guild activist and four Senators from surrounding systems.

She felt that Anakin had been startled by the sheer volume of beings involved and had made a point that the issues involving the Jedi needed to be discussed in great detail.

Unfortunately that meant hours of negotiations with vastly differing viewpoints on an issue that affected the Jedi Order.

Mara had been impressed with Anakin's diplomacy skills but felt overwhelmed with the weight of the discussions.

Anakin followed Mara out of the grand hall and took the opportunity to stretch. "Is it what you expected?"

Mara shrugged. "I expected the boring diplomacy side of things. I had no idea how passionately the Counts hate the Jedi, though."

"They fear the Force," Anakin corrected.

Mara narrowed her eyes. "Well we're going to a lot of trouble considering the system doesn't produce many Force-adepts."

"And you don't think it's worth our time?"

Just as Mara was about to deliver her answer, many of the opposing negotiators stepped outside the room.

"We are ready to resume," the Senator's aide wheezed as he lifted his datapad high into the air. "We still have several points to discuss."

"Unless the Jedi have something better to do?" another aide asked. "And Senator Belku requests that only Master Skywalker be present for the next set of negotiations."

"And just why can't I come in?" Mara demanded.

The aide looked directly at Mara for the first time. His eyes ran over her and Mara suddenly felt dirty—as if he was undressing her with his eyes and declaring her scum.

"He doesn't wish to be bothered with younglings," the aide sneered.

"Mara is a valued member of these negotiations, Encor Selbot," Anakin started, gauging the aide's furious expression. "It would be unwise for the Senator to dismiss her."

"Senator Belku is insistent," the second aide added. "It would be, how did you put it, _unwise_ for you to disregard his wishes."

Mara could feel Anakin's unease with the situation. It was clear that he did not want a repeat of her earlier behaviour in front of the Senator's entourage. Mara felt the sting of guilt and embarrassment. While it was true that the negotiations were boring, she had found the process somewhat interesting.

"It's fine," Mara piped up, turning to Anakin.

"Mara..." Anakin started to protest before the aide handed him four datapads.

"His Excellency is waiting," the aide reiterated impatiently, firmly pushing Anakin back into the chambers.

_I'll see what I can find, Master_, Mara sent. It was widely known that Mara was skilful in acquiring beneficial information and Mara was itching to see whether she would be able to break into the Palace's central computer.

"Besides, His Excellency does not like to be kept waiting," Mara said sweetly.

_Be careful, young one._

And with a final bang, the chamber doors shut on Mara.

o0o

The Palace's security was nearly foolproof but that certainly didn't stop Mara from conducting her own investigation. Ever the enthusiast, Mara had managed to conceal her lightsaber strategically in her Jedi robes. If Anakin and Obi-Wan or even the Council kept secrets, Mara wasn't any different. Although not entirely becoming of a Jedi, Mara always kept a vibro-blade on her person and often her favourite black blaster.

A contact her father had on Coruscant called Dex had also provided her with a small unable-to-be-tracked hacking datapad that assured her anonymity and standing as a Jedi were never compromised.

Mara knew that her methods were less than orthodox and certainly didn't fall exactly in line with the Jedi Code, however the end result always justified her use of strategic thinking.

A nagging thought that perhaps that was why everyone felt the need to keep secrets from her.

While her mere presence sent the guards into a tailspin, Mara was delighted to find that most were too frightened to approach her as she walked the halls. Her concealed lightsaber assured her that stray glares were avoided and Mara concentrated on becoming a ghost in the halls of the Palace.

So far, she had nothing of consequence to report back to her Master. She had picked up random stray thoughts but even with their presence on the planet, their thoughts rarely strayed to the Jedi.

As Mara continued down the hall, an odd sense of familiarity washed over her. It felt as if she had walked this hall before. Mara's eyes flickered to the door on the left. It had a very intricate design on it and Mara was positive she hadn't passed it earlier.

Mara crept closer to the door and made sure that nobody was actively paying attention to her. As she got closer, the design became clearer.

_A crest._

Mara's sense of the Force pulsed as it had been doing since before she and Anakin had left Coruscant. Mara then knew, without a doubt, that there was something very important that was behind that door.

Mara looked around and finally spied a darker outline on the doorframe. The lines blended in with the frame and Mara rubbed a thick layer of dust from it. To the naked eye it would be nearly impossible to see but to a Jedi on the lookout for a clue, it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy.

Mara gave the hidden panel a nudge and frowned when the panel stayed shut. Mara skilfully took out her datapad and quickly scanned through the information about the Palace. Her eyes danced over the information until a fact caught her eye.

_Dooku, also known as Darth Tyrannus, returned to his Palace to assume his rule at Serenno as his birthright as a Count._

This information had piqued Mara's interest.

Mara continued to scroll through the information until she came to a timeframe that matched the dates the datapad said Dooku left the Jedi Order.

With a triumphant smile, Mara used a series of taps and swipes on the hidden panel on the door. Mara could barely contain her excitement when the hidden panel embedded in the frame slid open.

Using all the stealth training she had received at the Temple, Mara positioned herself in a way that blocked what she was attempting to do. Mara took a holoshot of the complex terminal that appeared and programmed the datapad to analyse the terminal.

As Mara leant in for a closer look, a bright, red glow in Aurubesh appeared on a screen. As the words appeared on Mara's datapad, the same words appeared on the screen.

_Blood sample._

Mara grimaced at the use of such barbaric, archaic security practices. With quick fingers, Mara began to create a simple override code. As she scrolled down, the fact that she would still have to provide a blood sample finally dawned on her.

Mara strengthened her shields and with a quick slide of her finger over her vibroblade, a small trickle of blood appeared. Mara thanked the Force that she had enough sense to follow her instincts and pressed her bloody finger to the terminal.

Before Mara had the chance to input her override code, the terminal let out a soft beep. Surprised, Mara stepped back as the door lifted. Every fibre in her being screamed at her to move.

Mara's own sensibilities coupled with the fact that her entrance was all too easy screamed at her to turn around and report her findings to Anakin.

As if on cue, his voice sounded in her mind.

_What's wrong?_

Mara knew then that there was no way that she could relate this information to him now—he would have to stay in the negotiations and wouldn't be able to help.

_There is something down there,_ Mara thought to herself. _I am not a coward. I am __**not**__ afraid._

Mara steeled herself, prayed to the Force and silently slipped into the darkness.

The door closed quickly behind Mara and as soon as she went to ignite her lightsaber, a series of lights turned on, illuminating a path culminating in a staircase.

The same crest that was on the door was delicately painted, probably by hand, appeared on the hallway. Mara looked around and sensed no danger on the top level. Her fear gradually gave way to curiosity and Mara took one final glance at the crest and continued on the path.

The stairway was three flights and Mara easily made her way down the narrow staircase. Much like it had when she first stepped foot on the planet, the Force pulsed around her and now, more than ever, Mara believed that the answers to all the secrets her father and her Master were hiding from her were about to be discovered.

As Mara set foot on the ground level, the lights all activated and Mara gasped as she surveyed the room. Computer terminals lined the wall on the left side. A thick layer of dust had gathered and it was obvious the room hadn't been accessed in some time.

Mara moved forward and saw weapons on the back wall, next to what was presumably an office or sleeping quarters. A fresher was in the far corner and Mara spied two inactive protocol droids, sitting lifeless at a charging station.

What shocked Mara was the mess in the middle of the floor. Crystals in red, green and blue littered the floor. Mara let out a yelp as she bent down and examined the crystals.

"These are lightsaber crystals," she said to nobody. Her eyes finally rested on the other rubbish on the floor—old lightsaber parts. She recognised the parts.

A beeping coming from one of the terminals tore Mara's attention away from the lightsaber graveyard. A computer terminal was flashing and Mara assumed it had been programmed to activate when someone entered the room. She sped over and her fingers flew across the archaic keyboard attached.

Thankfully, the computer didn't seem to be setting off an alarm, but loading a holo. Thanking her foresight once again, Mara quickly connected her datapad and began a download of any information readily accessible.

As Mara finally sat down at the terminal to see if she could identify the holo, an image filled the portable holoprojector that Mara hadn't noticed in the other corner of the room.

The unmistakable face of Count Dooku appeared and the sound of his voice, calling from beyond the grave, settled like ice on Mara's bones.

"My child, welcome."


	9. Revelations

**Chapter Eight: Revelations**

Mara frantically tried to stop the recording. She had seen Dooku a few times, mostly in history lessons at the Temple. He may had been a Jedi but Mara could distinctly feel the Dark Side radiating in the room, despite the holo and Dooku being dead for about twenty years.

Mara finally acknowledged that the strange sense of the Force she had felt since landing on Serenno was shades of the Dark Side.

"My child," the holo repeated. "Welcome to the Palace of Dooku and your rightful home. I am sorry that I could not acknowledge you before."

The tone of Dooku's voice changed and Mara could detect a wisp of regret.

"Dooku had a child?" she whispered to the eerily empty room.

Her eyes flung back to the datapad which was still transferring the files.

"This room, as well as this Palace now belongs to you. It is my only regret that perhaps I will not be around to see you grow."

Mara finally noticed that Dooku looked slightly younger in the holo.

"In these terminals, which you have freedom to access, are several documents. They contain records of your birth, holo footage and everything you will need to assume your place as a Countess of Serenno."

Anakin's voice sounded in her head. _Mara, where are you? Negotiations are on break._

Mara pushed aside her Master's request and focused her attention on Dooku's image.

"In the terminals is additional information that I will have added after making this recording. This will include information that I have accessed directly from Darth Sidious. In your time, you probably know him as Palpatine."

If Mara hadn't been paying complete attention before, she was certainly at full attention now.

"There is hardware encased in the protocol droid's inner casing. This is a holocron and all the information from the Sith archives, as well as some information from the Jedi archives should be placed here."

The beeping finally stopped indicating that Mara's datapad had finished the transfer.

Through her shields, Anakin's voice boomed again, more insistent.

_Mara, where are you? Are you in trouble?_

Once again, Mara ignored the calls of her Master.

She snatched the datapad away from the terminal, both excited and terrified to read the secrets it now held. The Jedi Council would be thrilled to sort through the information.

"I can see that your transfer is done. Make sure you hold your hand up to the scanner on the way out, young one. I am expecting to see you again soon."

Mara stood and was momentarily paralysed with the sheer volume of information she had just received. She had managed, by pure luck, to gain access to the most hidden chamber in the palace of Count Dooku. His secrets should have been buried with him years ago, when Anakin had sliced off his arms and cut off his head.

Yet here she stood, in a chamber that hummed with the Dark Side and could still think coherently.

_I'm coming for you._

Just when Anakin's voice pierced through her shields again, a blue haze filled her eyes and within seconds, she felt herself slump to the ground.

"_It can't be," a voice whispered. _

_She raised her head and realised she was still in the underground chamber. The holo was turned off and Dooku's image no longer filled the chamber. Mara flipped her braid and stood, finding it difficult to focus. _

"_It's not true, Mama," the voice spoke again, more panicked and insistent. _

"_My child, it is true. How else do you explain our gaining entry into this place?"_

_Mara's eyes finally adjusted and the sight of two beautiful red-headed women came into focus. One was older but not too many wrinkles had marred her face. Her hair was a dark red and she wore the clothes of a servant of the Palace. _

_Beside her stood a girl, probably not much younger than Mara herself. Mara was unable to see her face, but her hair was nearly the exact same shade a Mara's. _

"_Hello?" Mara called out to them, but they simply ignored her. Entranced by the women, she moved closer._

"_You were with him?" she asked sadly. "A Jedi?"_

_The older woman placed a delicate hand on what was obviously her daughter's arm. "Please do not judge me, Marra-lee," she said in a tender voice. "He gave me the gift of you. I made a promise to him that I would bring you here, one day."_

_The two women locked eyes, and Mara hoped that they couldn't see her as she inched closer. _

"_He is evil, Mama," the girl whispered. "I am not like him."_

"_You do have the gift, my child. He promised me. He saw. And if I am to help you, I have to bring you here. He is your father. It is in your blood."_

_Mara could feel the confusion and anger radiating from the girl and she was positive that the girl was indeed strong with the Force. _

_A sweeping realisation overcame Mara as she realised that she was watching the daughter of Dooku. _

"_We should not be here."_

_The young girl turned to leave but her mother caught grip of her tunic. "If you have this gift, perhaps you can leave this place. The Jedi—."_

"_The Jedi will not take me!" she lashed out. "And you Mama, you would think that I would leave you here to rot? Leave you here to work in this Palace, alone? That is something I cannot do."_

_The older woman smiled sadly. "I loved him, child. It will count, I am sure of it."_

"_He is a Sith. The whole galaxy might not know it, but I do. It is better for everyone if we just leave this place. Light or Dark, I do not care. I will not do this."_

_The woman finally spun around and came face to face with Mara. _

_Mara gasped as she saw features nearly identical to hers worn on this stranger's face. _

"_Marali-Ketana, wait..."_

The blue haze became thicker and Mara felt herself fall again.

o0o

The sound of a lightsaber scraping metal in the distance assaulted Mara's ears.

_I'm coming._

Mara took a few seconds to clear her head and process the vision the Force had just shown her. She stared down at her hand, where the blood she had drawn had dried on her hand.

She thought back to the panel on the door and how it had mysteriously opened without the override. She thought to the vision she had just encountered and the way Dooku's daughter's face mirrored her own. The colour of her hair, the shape of her nose, the way she walked—it was nearly identical.

She eyed the scanner that was against the wall, waiting to let her out.

_Welcome, my child._

_Dark things breed there._

_Let us hope that old ghosts don't linger._

A feeling of sheer panic and dread cloaked Mara like a shroud. She hurriedly grabbed her datapad and eyed the protocol droid that still sat lifeless on the other side of the room.

"It can't be," Mara repeated. "It's not possible."

A muffled voice from the top of the stairs sounded. "Mara?"

All of Mara's Jedi training escaped her at that moment as she succumbed to her emotions.

_Fear._

_Anger._

_Confusion._

_Confusion._

_Pain. _

_Suffering._

With shaky hands, Mara tore into her wound, letting fresh blood trickle off her hand onto the lightsaber-littered floor.

She held her hand up and the scanner beeped, the same code appearing.

Her override code hadn't been needed. Her blood had triggered it. If her blood had triggered it, the weight of the world was now definitely on her shoulders.

Mara thought of her Master, who was slicing through durasteel, trying to come to her rescue.

She then thought of Anakin, of her father and of the Council, who had, for eighteen years, omitted the cruellest and most devastating news from her.

Numbly, she programmed the door to open from her datapad as the weight of her emotions pushed down on her, forcing her to slump to the floor.

With as much strength in the Force as she could muster, she reached out, across the vast reached of space, to the beacon of light she could always find.

_Daddy, why didn't you tell me?_

The sound of Anakin's heavy footsteps echoed off the walls. He was only seconds away.

But before he got here, Mara had to know for certain. She ignored the certainty she felt in her very soul and searched for the name she knew in her now loaded datapad.

_Marali-Ketana Jade._

She wiped a sample of her blood onto the in-built scanner and held her breath as the program whirled to life.

Anakin's presence filled the room just as the confirmation screen appeared on her datapad.

The air left Mara's lungs and the Force itself entered her body, absorbing her every emotion.

The woman in the vision, Dooku's daughter, was her mother.

Anakin's concerned eyes met her own, as he hastily commed for assistance.

He grabbed the datapad from her hands, and Mara noticed him assess the room as well as her now deteriorating condition.

"Stay with me, Kenobi," he urged.

Mara looked at him at that moment.

_Lies._

Anger filled her heart. "Don't you mean Jade?"


	10. Fallout

**Chapter Nine: Fallout**

Anakin froze at the name and a part of Mara enjoyed the panicked, fearful look on his face.

_He deserves it, _she thought bitterly.

"Where did you hear that name?"

Anakin patiently waited for her answer but a war raged on inside Mara. Anger and resentment battled for her heart. As Mara had one promised, she focused on the beacon of light the Force provided. The severity of her emotions began to fade and Mara nearly felt like her old self again.

The problem was that now, Mara barely knew who she was.

Instead of arguing, Mara simply handed over the datapad.

She watched as Anakin's eyes skimmed over the information. His eyes widened and the situation began to dawn on Anakin.

"This is his chamber," he breathed, absorbing the feel of the Dark Side. He looked down at Mara, who was starting to lose her grip again.

"We need to leave. Now."

With a firm but gentle tug, Anakin pulled Mara to her feet and led her up the stairs.

o0o

Mara didn't offer any information and Anakin hadn't asked. He hadn't even asked her to pull duty in the cockpit. Instead, Mara had locked herself into the guest quarters and refused to speak.

She had cut herself off from her father through the Force. While she was angry at Anakin, she felt positively livid that her father, her wonderful, trustworthy father, had kept this from her for all those years.

While she had known all along that Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn't her real father, it hadn't mattered.

Until now.

Mara had never asked about her biological parents although Obi-Wan had tried to speak to her about it, once, when she had been younger. Mara highly doubted that he would have filled her in completely though.

She knew what her mother looked like. She wondered just who her father had been. Had he been a worker in the Palace, like her mother? Another Count? A trader? A tourist? Was he dead or alive?

She wondered whether Marali-Ketana or her grandmother were even still alive. It took Mara a split second to realise she probably had the information at her fingertips.

She had hidden the datapad in her tunic so her Master couldn't take it from her again. He clearly had his secrets, and now Mara had hers.

Her datapad downloaded to a remote location that only she had knowledge of and access to. Mara flicked through the statistics and found a huge quantity of information had been downloaded. Her fingers passed over her access button when a tiny flashing button revealed she had messages.

The first one was from Han.

_Didn't get to finish my joke. How do you get a redhead to change her mood? Wait ten seconds. _

She ignored the idiot's attempt at humour and looked at the next message. Despite her internal conflict, a wave of relief passed over her as she gleefully savoured the happiness and warmth she felt.

_Mara,_

_It's over. I passed! On our way back to Coruscant now. Knighting ceremony is in two standard weeks. I hope you'll be back by then. I can't wait to see you. I finally did it._

_Luke_

However, even Luke's good news couldn't chase the nagging demons away. With a sigh, Mara logged on to her network and typed in "Jade".

Two profiles appeared and Mara clicked on the one with the holopicture of Marali-Ketana's mother.

_My grandmother._

A short profile appeared as if she was merely a footnote to Dooku's vast file.

_Cereila Jade_

_Head of Operations, Inkoo Palace_

_Waitstaff Officer, Dooku Palace_

_Gave birth to a daughter, Marali-Ketana Jade._

_Father unknown._

_Deceased_

Mara frowned at the lack of information. She then brought up the other profile.

_Marali-Ketana Jade_

_Waitstaff Officer, Dooku Palace_

_Arrested by Serenno Base Alpha-Four Officers on three counts of spice possession, two counts theft, eight counts possession of a weapon_

_Pregnant at time of death_

_OFFWORLDER_

Many facts didn't settle with Mara. Why had her mother been arrested so many times? Why wasn't her birth registered and how had she given birth to Mara eighteen years ago offworld? Where had Mara been born?

An idea occurred to Mara. Although she was still a padawan, Mara had managed to gain access to Anakin's login details for the Jedi Archives.

She accessed their remote location and confidently typed in Anakin's code. She prayed to the Force that he hadn't changed it since their trip to Brentaal. Luckily, the search bar came up and Mara searched for both hers and Marali-Ketana's medical records.

Both records appeared. At a quick glance, one thing became clear. The records contained no reference to any genetic testing to Count Dooku. Mara wasn't sure to be angry or relieved that the information wasn't stored in the Archives and the Jedi Council probably didn't even know.

Which led her to a more curious thought. Her father and her Master knew—that much was obvious. Mara was stunned at the depths of secrecy the two shared. They had deliberately hidden her lineage from the Jedi Council. The only reason they would have done that was because they were trying to hide _her_.

Deciding she didn't want to read anymore, Mara flung the datapad onto the bed on the opposite side of the cabin. The only thing that mildly comforted her was that she hoped, in light of this new information, her father wouldn't lie to her again.

Mara felt her Master's presence before Anakin bothered knocking. She had clamped her shields down so nobody would make the mistake of trying to connect with her.

"Mara..."

"Go away," she shouted.

"Mara, you're going to have to come out eventually," Anakin reasoned.

Mara's rational Jedi side had shut down. While she had felt slightly embarrassed that she was the cause of the cease of negotiations, the side of her that had been betrayed nearly revelled in the fact that Anakin would return to the Council empty-handed.

_Well, they certainly won't be empty-handed for long_, Mara thought bitterly.

Despite her strong shields, Mara knew that her emotions were bleeding through. A thought slammed into her. She had been a Jedi for eighteen years—she had been taught the difference between compassion and love and reckless emotion, hadn't she?

So why now, when she had been lied to, had she forgotten her most fundamental lesson?

She heard Anakin's footsteps retreating and heard a tiny voice in her head.

_Maybe because you've never been a real Jedi._

Mara felt herself panic but instead, she closed her eyes, focused on the Force and lay back down on the bed.

o0o

Obi-Wan tried to put on a happy face for Luke, even though he was sure the gifted Jedi could tell that his emotions were all over the place. Even after years of service to the Order, since Mara had come into his life, he had more trouble than usual controlling his emotions. Normally he allowed himself happy emotions, as his daughter filled an empty hole in his heart that the lack of family had left.

At precisely 11:00 three standard days ago, Coruscant time, Obi-Wan Kenobi felt his heart break from millions of parsecs away.

Obi-Wan had heard his daughter's voice in his head and he prayed to the Force that this perceived betrayal wouldn't drive her from him forever.

He and Luke had landed early on Coruscant and had spent the better part of three standard hours debriefing with the Council. Obi-Wan had attempted to pay close attention but his thoughts rarely strayed from Mara.

"Is everything alright, Obi-Wan?" Luke asked kindly.

Obi-Wan pushed aside his feeling of dread and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Everything is fine. Have you spoken to your family yet?"

A happy smile appeared on Luke's face. "Not yet. I wanted to surprise them. I did send Mara a message..."

"You've spoken to Mara?" Obi-Wan asked quickly. "Is she alright?"

A look of curiosity and concern passed over Luke's face. More than that—Obi-Wan could literally feel Luke's worry over Mara through the Force. On an ordinary day, this might have intrigued him.

"She didn't reply. I just assumed she and Dad were busy. Why, is there something I should know about?"

Obi-Wan waved him off. "She and Anakin are due back on Coruscant in a matter of minutes. That's where I'm heading now."

Luke's eyes lit up. "They're due back now? I'll come and keep you company, Master."

"That is not necessary," Obi-Wan said quickly. "I am sure your mother..."

"Will be more than happy if I come home with my father in tow," Luke finished. "Please Obi-Wan. I want to see Dad's face when I share the good news."

Obi-Wan could merely nod and point in the direction of the port. Obi-Wan wasn't sure what sort of greeting lay ahead but he felt sorrow knowing that the reunion he and Luke were hoping for was about to become a wisp of wishful thinking.

o0o

Obi-Wan felt both his former apprentice and his daughter's presence long before the _Skyheart_ began docking. Anakin had been very open and it was hard for Obi-Wan not to sympathise with his current predicament. He knew Mara very well and she had a well-rounded temper that could send lesser Jedi to the pits of Corellian hell. It wasn't fair that Anakin had to bear the brunt of her anger.

Obi-Wan had a sneaking suspicion that her anger and feelings of hurt and betrayal were about to be transferred to the very worthy recipient—himself.

The _Skyheart_ docked and Obi-Wan felt Luke's excitement mounting through the Force. What was harder to decipher was whether Luke was more excited to see Anakin or Mara.

The door opened and Obi-Wan braced himself for the worst as Luke puffed out his chest.

Anakin came out first, looking tired and haggard. The look of sorrow seemed to have permanently etched itself onto his face. A quick smile appeared as he saw Luke. He pulled Luke in for a hug and held him close. Obi-Wan stepped aside and allowed his two padawans their moment together.

Like a raging fire, Mara stepped out of the _Skyheart_. Obi-Wan's heart constricted and he tried to reconcile his memories of his baby girl with the fiery young woman that stood in front of him.

_I have failed you_, he thought miserably, letting his guilt and sadness fall over the four of them like a shroud.

Mara began her walk down the ramp, her eyes shooting vibro-blades at him. The Negotiator, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was rendered speechless.

"Mara," Luke greeted warmly, moving from his father's embrace to greet Mara.

Obi-Wan and Anakin both knew what was coming and both braced for impact, feeling guilty for letting Luke fall prey to Mara.

Instead, Mara simply folded into Luke's arms and began to cry.


	11. Decision

**Chapter Ten: Decision**

Mara didn't even have the energy to hold her shields as the pain and stress from the past few weeks tumbled through the Force.

Without hesitation, Luke tightened his hold on Mara. She had never let herself become so raw with emotion. The fact that she was breaking down, here, in front of the three men who meant the galaxy to her, was telling in itself.

"It'll be alright," Luke whispered to her, despite not being able to pinpoint the cause of her anguish. Obi-Wan and Anakin locked eyes and passed an unspoken vow to tend to their own.

With a strong and gentle hand, Obi-Wan pulled Mara from Luke. He was shocked, but grateful to find that she complied almost immediately. Obi-Wan could feel that her defences were down and accompanied by the pain and anguish, was the stinging sear of betrayal.

All four Jedi on the platform could feel the presence of Council members making their way towards them.

"Obi-Wan, she can't deal with them right now," Anakin stressed.

"I'll create a distraction," Luke offered, shooting Mara a worried look and heading in the direction of the incoming Council members.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan breathed as Mara's crying turned into a desperate wail as if she were trying to expel every dark thought from her body. It broke Obi-Wan's heart to see her like this.

Mara almost never lost control and seeing his daughter do so in such a public and spectacular fashion, chilled Obi-Wan to the bone.

_Like when she was a child_, Obi-Wan projected to Anakin, who was also becoming increasingly concerned.

"I'll take her to our quarters."

Anakin nodded. "Comm if you need me."

Mara continued to sob into his arms and Obi-Wan began to guide her to their family quarters in the Temple, praying to the Force that his daughter would be alright.

o0o

Mara could barely recall stepping off the _Skyheart_. She remembered seeing Luke and feeling the happiness radiating from him. She could remember his smell and his presence in the Force. As soon as his arms were around her, all Mara could do was let go.

She was now in the safety of her room in the Temple. After her embarrassing display of emotion in the hangar, her father had brought her here. She had wanted so badly to scream at him and demand why he had kept such a huge secret from her but the words seemed empty. The shred of despair she had felt in the Palace on Serenno had grown exponentially and everything she saw was clouded with sadness.

Her father had put up the strongest shields he could create with the Force around them. She registered his presence in the room and felt him press a cup of warmed blue milk into her hands.

"I'm not a child," she croaked, grasping the cup all too strongly.

"It's still your favourite, is it not?"

Mara didn't answer him and instead took a sip.

"For what it's worth..."

Mara held up a shaky hand. "Don't. Please. Not right now."

He placed a hand on her knee. "I never meant for this to hurt you, Mara," he reasoned.

"You never thought I would find out," she said tersely, wrenching her knee away from his loving hand. "That's the difference!"

Obi-Wan bowed his head. "I am so sorry young one."

Mara felt something inside of her snap. Her tears had dried and the sadness turned to frustration. "You didn't just lie to me—you've been hiding this from the Council!" she accused.

Obi-Wan tried to pull himself together to answer her. "The Council needn't know, Mara."

Mara stood up. "And why not? I think that'd be pretty telling, _Dad_, that one of their padawans is actually the hell-spawn of Count Dooku, a _kriffing Sith_!" Mara fumed.

Obi-Wan winced at Mara's harsh words. "Mara, you are not hell-spawn," he corrected, gently. "You are my daughter. I have raised you since the day you were born. I have given you my love and my honour. You are _not_ hell-spawn."

"Born?" Mara screeched. "I don't even know _where_ I was born! I only just found out my mother's name and the fact that she was a junkie!"

"You were born here, in this very Temple," Obi-Wan responded, placing his hands on Mara's shoulders. "Eighteen years ago, your mother came to Coruscant with you. We did everything we could. You were born and then...she died."

Mara forcefully removed his hands from her shoulders. "All I know is what you tell me! How can I know that's the truth? You've lied to me for eighteen years!"

"Perhaps it's time we sat down and had an open and honest conversation."

Mara couldn't have agreed more.

o0o

Mara was completely worn out. The stress she had been carrying around from Serenno hadn't lessened but at least her father had started being honest. With the knowledge she had gained from her still-secret datapad and her father's account, she was able to now piece together how she had managed to escape Serenno undetected.

A part of her had been honoured to hear how far both her father and Anakin had gone just to free her mother from the confines of Serenno. It hadn't been easy to hear Obi-Wan's description of desperate and spice-addicted woman, but for his honesty, Mara was grateful.

Having a mother hadn't been a crucial issue in Mara's life—right up until she realised she had been right here, in this very temple, and died the day she prematurely came into the world.

"Why didn't you tell the Council?" Mara finally asked, her temper reaching its lowest point in days.

"It is not your genes that define you as a person—or as a Jedi for that matter. Everything about you is unique, Mara. I have never met a woman more courageous or loyal. _You_ are what makes you special, never because you happen to be share the same genetic structure as a man who fell to the Dark Side of the Force."

"But the Council —" she began to protest.

Obi-Wan raised a hand. "Might not have understood as clearly as I do. Regardless of where you came from, I raised you. I am your family. I had hoped that it would be enough," he finished sadly.

Mara felt herself come to a crossroads. Despite the stinging betrayal, she could probably understand why her father had done it. If it were her, would she have done it any differently?

She was just as much a Kenobi as she was a Jade or a Dooku. It was that only thought that kept her going.

In a whisper, she confirmed. "Dad, it's more than enough."

In a split second, Obi-Wan was by her side. Mara vowed to shed no more tears and she embraced her father.

As she squeezed the man who had taken her in and loved her, a quiet, dark voice in her mind spoke up.

_You can run, but you can't hide, Mara Jade._

o0o

Mara was dreading the debriefing with the Council. She hadn't spoken to Anakin since they had left Serenno and he had expertly hidden the fact that they had accessed Dooku's hidden chamber. She hadn't exactly been respectful towards him and since her interlude with her father last night, the guilt was beginning to form in her mind.

There was another Skywalker that was assaulting Mara's mind too. Luke had tried to comm her last night but Mara hadn't been in very good shape. However, she had opened herself up through the Force when she felt Luke gently trying to reach her. She had felt his concern and didn't want him to worry. She had let him know that she was fine and he sent back what could only be described as a reassuring hug through the Force.

She had promised her father that she would turn up at the debriefing well-rested and ready to discuss everything openly and honestly. Obi-Wan had been summoned by the Council already and Mara could only assume that he, along with Anakin, was being questioned.

Mara walked the familiar path to the Council chambers. The halls were relatively empty and Mara was grateful for the few moments of peace before the storm.

She finally found herself at Council chambers. It was not the first time she had been summoned to explain herself in light of somewhat unorthodox behaviour and despite all that had happened; Mara was fairly certain it wouldn't be the last.

She didn't have to wait long outside. Her father's tired but kind voice called to her.

_We're ready for you young one._

Mara stood and shook her hands and legs. She had tried to meditate to clear her mind but she was having a great deal of trouble. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Dooku's face and the vivid red hair of Marali-Ketana assaulted her.

Her thoughts didn't dwell on Anakin and Obi-Wan's deception too much; instead she was pushing herself to remember the darkest time when they had filled her heart with happiness and lifted her from the ground.

_They don't trust you_, the traitorous voice in her mind reminded her. _You blew the Serenno deal. You will be grounded as a Jedi and left here in the Temple to rot. _

Mara pushed the thoughts as far into the back of her mind as possible and opened the door. All twelve Masters were seated, although Master Windu was still broadcasting from Galliespied. She locked eyes with her father but the pit in her stomach grew as he turned away from her.

"Padawan Kenobi," Master Windu began. "You are aware as to why we have bought you in front of this Council today?"

"Yes Master," Mara answered automatically, keeping her eyes downcast. "You wish me to report on the incident at Serenno."

"Master Skywalker has provided a very detailed report regarding the issue on Serenno," Master Tii said in a clipped tone.

Mara was confused. "So if you have no interest in hearing my report, why have you summoned me?"

There was an eerie silence that swept over the chambers. Mara now looked at Anakin, who was avoiding her eyes in the same way as her father.

"This is a punishment hearing, isn't it?" she asked softly, directing her attention to her own Master.

"Reckless on Serenno, you were," Master Yoda answered for the group. "Review your actions, we must."

"Masters Kenobi and Skywalker have filled us in on the," there was a pause from Master Windu, "extenuating circumstances surrounding the incident."

"Masters, I—"

"We are not finished here," Master Koon interrupted.

"Blind we were, if this we did not see," Master Yoda added sadly. "Far reaching Dooku's betrayal was."

Mara's heart was beating wildly.

"You should not have gone on your own, Padawan Kenobi. You put yourself in significant danger and caused the vital negotiations to cease," Master Windu continued. "Not to mention you blatantly misused the Force to guide your own actions. This led you down a dangerous path indeed."

"Dooku's presence, we have not felt in such a long time," Master Yoda added.

Obi-Wan and Anakin's silence cut through Mara and the feeling she had experienced when Anakin had turned on her before Serenno exponentially multiplied.

"Spoken we have to Master Skywalker and agreed the entire Council is," Master Yoda announced sadly. "Agreed we have, that grounded you should be."

"Grounded?" Mara whispered as she tried and failed to control her emotions.

_Control, control, you must learn control_, she heard Master Yoda's voice in her head.

"Until we are sure that you have a control of your situation and can remember that you are a servant of the Force, Mara. You are a Jedi. You need to let go of your emotions, you cannot let them rule you," Master Adi-Mundi emphasised.

"Master Skywalker will let you know when it is time to return to your duties. You are dismissed."

With that final dismissal, Mara held her head up high and without a word, left the Council chambers.


	12. Better with Friends

**Chapter Eleven: Better With Friends**

"You know that you will probably have to either answer your comm, show your face or lift your shields at some time," Leia pointed out as she perused over a datapad.

"What's your point?"

Leia sighed and Mara kept flipping her single credit, trying to avoid Leia's piercing politician stare. "My point is that you can't just spend all your downtime hiding out in my office."

Mara feigned a look of horror on her face. "Disrupting you, am I, Mrs. Solo?"

Leia's datapad beeped and her eyes thankfully returned to whatever politician datawork had been submitted.

Mara enjoyed the obvious internal conflict Leia was currently experiencing. She hadn't had as much Jedi training as she had and Mara was always looking for an outlet to exploit that.

"First, I wouldn't marry that nerf herder even if you paid me, secondly, you know you are most welcome here but I sincerely doubt that you actually think you aren't disturbing me."

Mara sighed. Leia was right—she knew that her being here was an inconvenience but she no longer felt welcome at the Temple since she had stormed out a standard week ago.

"I'm sorry, Leia. After all that's happened, I just don't feel right."

Leia tore her eyes away from her datapad and placed it on top of the huge pile next to her terminal. "I hardly blame you, Mara. At least you confronted the issue head on. If I found out I was related to a Sith, I would probably be in a state of denial."

Mara shrugged. "You play with the hand you're dealt with. I guess I just didn't make a very good move with mine."

Leia smiled warmly. "And yet you could still probably beat Han in a game of Sabacc with your eyes closed." Leia took a deep breath. "Both Dad and Obi-Wan have commed me asking about—"

"No," Mara said tersely. "I have nothing to say to either of them right now."

"I thought you'd moved past it," Leia chastised gently. "From what you told me, I gathered you and your dad worked things out."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Yes but that was before they refused to look me in the eye when the rest of the Council practically tore me a new one."

If Leia was shocked by Mara's use of non-Jedi like language, she didn't show it.

"They were probably outnumbered," she reasoned. Mara stopped flipping her credit and threw it hard against the wall.

"Whose side are you on anyway? Mara whined. "Stop using your political mumbo jumbo on me."

"Stop making excuses and hiding from the Force and every Jedi on Coruscant," Leia snapped back.

Mara was impressed. "Good call."

Leia smiled wryly. "I try."

Mara was very grateful to Leia for the hand of friendship she had extended to her since she had been grounded. Leia had done nothing but listen to Mara and offer well-meaning advice but despite this, Mara still felt as if her world was closing in on her.

Her grounding was indefinite so Mara had taken the opportunity to catch up with her life outside the Jedi Temple. She had placed her secret datapad in a place she knew her father wouldn't find it and had left a note in her room and left the Temple to explore Coruscant.

Being grounded hardly meant expulsion from the Order but Mara wanted to separate herself from the Temple while sad and dark thoughts haunted her. She had kept up with her oath as a Jedi and continued to make her skills useful by visiting the Coruscant Public Med Centre, the Children's Home and even snuck into the Halls of Healing to assist Cilghal of her own free will. The week away from the Temple had helped Mara find some measure of peace but had failed to raise her spirits enough for her to feel better.

Leia's office holo began flashing and Mara eyed the information. Leia's eyes went from the holo to Mara. "I don't have to take it."

Mara waved her off. "It's no secret I'm ignoring him. Go right ahead. He is your father after all. Not all of us need to be fighting!"

Anakin's image filled the holo. "Leia," he greeted.

"Hi Dad. Something I can help you with?"

Mara was relieved to see she had altered the angle so her own presence was hidden.

"Tell Mara that Luke will be docking in about an hour."

Leia acted surprised. "But—"

"She's not as clever as she thinks she is. If she's not going to talk to us, then she should at least talk to Luke. And Mara—"

Mara cringed with the knowledge that her Master could still seem to track her every move.

"Your father is worried sick about you. He might think it wise to give you some space and leave you to your own devices but I'm not so easily fooled. Just...let him know you're okay and you're alive. You also need to be back at the Temple next week. Master Yoda has some training for the both of us to complete."

Mara looked away from the holo.

"And you, my sweet Princess," Anakin continued. "Your mother wants you home at 19:00 for dinner. Don't be late or she'll send Threepio."

"Always a pleasure, Dad."

"I'll see you later, Princess. Bye Mara."

The holo cut out.

"I swear I didn't tell him you were here."

Mara sighed. "I know. At least he hasn't told my father."

Mara finally registered Anakin's message and a genuine feeling of happiness and relief passed over her. She stood and smoothed out her tunic. Before she could open her mouth, Leia's eyes were already back on her datapad. "Tell him I said hello and if he's late to dinner, Dad will embarrass us both."

Mara smiled. "May the Force be with you."

o0o

Mara hoped Luke had checked his messages after he docked. Normally she would meet him at the hangar at the Temple but she didn't want to ruin her self-imposed exile. She looked around Dex's Diner and gave a quick wave to Dex, who was flipping burgers in the back.

Mara had felt Luke land safely and her excitement was growing fast. He had been sent on his first solo mission to a neighbouring system. He had been gone nearly immediately after Mara's meeting with the Council. She was sure that Anakin and probably Leia had filled him in but this was the first time they had spoken since the incident.

Mara felt her senses burst into a happy flame as Luke walked through the door. He spotted her straight away and joined her at the booth. Mara couldn't help but smile. "Skywalker."

Luke broke into a smile. "Kenobi."

"Or should I say, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, extraordinaire."

Luke shrugged as he slid into the booth. "Rolls off the tongue nicely, don't you think."

Mara kicked him from underneath the table. "So, how've you been?"

Luke just stared at her. "You're asking me how _I _am?"

"It's been known to happen!" Mara snapped defensively.

A droid interrupted them and they quickly put in their orders. Mara stuffed some credits into the droid's outstretched hand before Luke could even move.

"Mara—"

The droid rolled away and Mara glared at Luke. "Seriously, you're going to argue about me paying a droid? Bigger fish to fry, Skywalker."

Luke blushed and Mara couldn't help but let his light in the Force shine over her.

"Leia tells me that you are avoiding my father."

"Yep."

"And your father."

"Him too," she confirmed.

Luke shook his head. "That is a stupid idea, Mara."

Mara narrowed her eyes. "How do you figure?"

"It's not their fault you were grounded," he said gently, but firmly.

Mara huffed in response as the droid returned with their drinks. "By all means, don't hold back."

Luke leant forward and squeezed Mara's hand. "I know that you've had a rough time but seriously, hiding isn't going to solve anything."

Mara was quiet for a moment. "It's better than facing up to the knowledge that I've just about ruined everything."

"You haven't ruined anything Mara. People make mistakes."

"Skywalker, I'm a Jedi. I'm not supposed to make mistakes—not like this," she said sadly.

"That's a load of poodoo!"

"I believe this conversation started with me asking how _you_ were," Mara pointed out, desperately wanting to change the subject before she reached across the table and either smacked or kissed Luke.

Luke looked at her but he knew better than to fight Mara when she was in a mood. He sighed. "I thought the life of a fully trained Jedi Knight was supposed to be somewhat interesting. It turns out I was wrong."

This spiked Mara's interest. "In what way? Didn't you just go on a mission?"

"To Vandor-3 to help Ahsoka with supplies. Hardly glamorous."

"I'm sure something ridiculously dangerous is just waiting around the corner."

Mara felt a spike in Luke's Force signature and the slight blush returned to his cheeks. "There's uh, something else too." Luke cleared his throat. "Callista and I are over."

Mara couldn't feel for a moment and let the shock of Luke's revelation wash over her. Luke and Callista were over.

"For good?" she managed to croak, surprising Luke with her lack of curse words.

"It wasn't working out. I hear she's back with Geith," Luke offered.

Mara eyed him up. "And you're seriously okay with this? You're not going to spend the next three months on a hunger strike over that cradle-snatching nobody?"

"Mara," he gently chided. "Can't you just say you're sorry and be done with it?"

A smirk appeared on Mara's face. Teasing Luke was so easy and natural—it was easy to forget the shadows lurking in her mind.

"Fine. I'm sorry to hear that you and Callista are over."

_Not._

"It still counts if you say it through the Force, Kenobi," Luke pointed out.

Mara looked at Luke over her cup of caf, thinking about the voices that were becoming stronger and more frequent that were haunting her waking moments. A part of her wanted to confess—but the other part forced her to keep silent on the matter. Instead, she sighed.

"That's what I'm afraid of."


	13. Connection

**A/N:** I just want to take a moment to thank my loyal beta of many years, Toni. She is an amazing person and a friend. She just undertook NaNoWriMo and I had the pleasure of returning the favour. If you love Siri/Obi-Wan, I suggest you check out her fic, _The Spy Family_.

**Chapter Twelve: Connection**

Mara dutifully turned up to the Temple exactly one week after her one-sided conversation with her Master. Her two weeks reprieve from the Temple was welcomed but a part of her did miss the familiar halls and gardens.

She walked in with her head held high. A few of the younger padawans and the younglings occasionally stared at her but, as was the nature of the Order, many were passive aggressive and nobody dared confront her.

Leia had passed on that Anakin was going to wait for her in the meditation gardens. She was unsure whether Master Yoda would accompany them. As she reached the entrance to the garden, she felt a very familiar signature in the Force.

A joint meditation session spelt trouble but Mara had been asked to attend and attend she would. Her thick hair was in her trademark braid with her small padawan braid left out. She fixed her tunic and opened the door leading out to the gardens.

It was a bright, sunny day on Coruscant and that was reflected in both her father and Master's faces. To their credit, as soon as she approached, neither of them flew into lecture.

"I invited your father to join us, I hope you don't mind," Anakin said, motioning for Mara to sit.

"Nice to see you, Mara," Obi-Wan said carefully. It was painfully obvious that they were both trying to be as pleasant as possible to her. It was very disconcerting. In her youth, Mara had often pushed both her Master and father to their limits as Jedi. They usually yelled at her or spoke softly, trying to convince her politely that what she was doing was wrong.

They did neither.

Without words, Mara sat between them. Anakin beamed with approval and he and Obi-Wan took their places.

"Where is Master Yoda?"

"Busy with the younglings, I'm afraid," Obi-Wan answered. "I hope between the three of us we can meditate on his wise words of wisdom."

Anakin nodded. "Obi-Wan is right. I'm sure with guidance from the Force, Yoda's task will be successful."

Mara didn't want to state the obvious but she couldn't help herself. "Do you even know what the task is?"

Anakin looked slightly put out and Mara could just imagine the same look on her own father's face. "Of course I do."

Mara looked at him sceptically. "I've just spent two whole weeks in the real world but even before then, I could tell when you're lying."

"Lying is unbecoming of a Jedi of your stature, Anakin."

Mara couldn't help but smirk and when her father winked at her, a familiar ease settled over her. "Let's all join and meditate. I feel that Master Yoda's instructions will present themselves if we all concentrate and connect," Anakin interrupted.

Mara didn't argue on the implausibility of his suggestion, but instead opened herself up to the Force. She felt both her father and her Master follow suit. The Force felt like an empty green field with nothing but wildflowers. Then, a single tree appeared. Red fruit filled its branches and leaves and Mara felt herself drawn to the tree.

The red fruit sparkled in the sunlight and all she had to do was reach up and grab one. _Take one_, a dark voice urged. Mara immediately withdrew her hand and couldn't help wonder how the dark voices managed to penetrate her safest place. In the Force, nestled between her Master and her father, the darkness still spoke.

Her hand took on a mind of its own and despite her misgivings, it propelled her body forward. Her hand was just about to grab the delicious, red fruit when another voice spoke to her.

_Even in light, darkness comes_, Yoda's voice spoke. _Find the truth, Mara Jade, set you free, it will._

Before Mara's unwilling fingers could rip the fruit from the tree, a mutual understanding filled her. She backed away from the tree and looked upwards, towards twin suns. She felt her Master's summons from the Force but just before, she heard an unmistakable snap and as she turned her back, the red fruit crashed to the ground.

o0o

Obi-Wan led the three of them into a private study room. The Archives were relatively empty but Mara had a sneaking suspicion they were about to discuss or view something very personal.

Her vision had startled her at first and she wasn't entirely sure if it had been personal. All she had confirmed was that they too had heard Master Yoda. They had shared a look of understanding between them. It was a look that had been cultivated through many years of friendship. Mara briefly wondered whether she and her Master would ever have a bond that strong. She also wondered whether her bonds to her father would hold, despite the dark whisperings in her ear.

With a flick of his wrist, Anakin sealed the door. "Master?"

"Sit down, young one," Obi-Wan said kindly, pulling out a chair. Mara ignored his request and stalked over to the terminal. "Dad? What are we doing in here?"

"Yoda's training," Anakin supplied. "The truth will set us all free."

Mara looked at them both incredulously. "You've got to be _kriffing_ with me. How is there more to this story?"

Obi-Wan frowned at her use of language but said nothing.

"You're not going to tell me my real father is the raised spirit of Darth Maul are you?"

"That was be impossible," Anakin corrected. "We have something to show you. It won't be easy—"

"But we think you're old enough to know," Obi-Wan finished. "I really think you ought to sit down."

The gentle tone in her father's voice convinced Mara to sit in the proffered seat. She couldn't imagine what sort of classified information she needed to see.

Both Anakin and Obi-Wan input their login details and the fact that it required two Masters' signatures was unnerving. The Jedi medical register appeared on the terminal.

"What's so exciting about these? Anyone can access medical records."

"These have been encrypted and stored for a reason. Not just any Jedi can reach these records. They are very private."

The first crude thought that came to Mara's minds was that the Jedi wanted to hide their dirty medical records but the seriousness on her father and Masters' faces kept her mouth shut.

"You are aware that your mother had an addiction to narcotics and she was using spice around the time of your birth?" Obi-Wan asked softly.

Mara frowned. "Well, yes." She thought about mentioning the datapad but something told her now wasn't the time.

Obi-Wan looked like he was trying to find the right words to say so predictably, his former apprentice came to his rescue.

"Mara, when we found your mother it was apparent that she had been using the drugs well into her pregnancy."

"Could you cut to the chase, please?" Mara snapped, already sure she didn't like where this conversation was going.

"You were born prematurely and Master Offee kept you in bacta for two months. But there was a complication when we removed you from the bacta," Obi-Wan started.

Mara's senses were alert. "Complication?"

"The spice, Mara. From your mother's prolonged use whilst carrying you, it had entered your bloodstream."

Obi-Wan then opened a holo and the image played out in front of Mara like a holofilm. Her father, younger and with most of his auburn hair, paced around the ward. Mara heard herself before she saw her face on the screen.

Piercing wails filled the previously silent room. As a Jedi, Mara had taken an oath to prevent all suffering and the wails of the clearly suffering baby on the screen hit her heart.

She raised her hand against the image, watching as her fingers ghosted through the holographic image. Master Offee walked into the frame carrying her now.

"There must be something you can do, Barriss. Anything. Please, she is suffering!" Obi-Wan begged. "Why didn't the bacta erase it from her system?"

The holographic form of Master Offee shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, Obi-Wan. Her body needs to purge itself of the traces of spice. And even then, the withdrawal will take some time," she said.

Another wail pierced through the holo and Mara had to turn away. "Get rid of it," she whispered.

Anakin immediately shut it off.

"How long?" she asked. "How long was I like this?"

"Many months," Obi-Wan answered. "Nearly the first year of your life."

"Why did you show me this? Why now?"

Anakin placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yoda's instructions were very clear. The truth will set you free. We have kept too much from you, under the guise of trying to protect you. You have turned into a wonderful and capable adult and we agreed that it was time you knew."

After her vision earlier, Mara had gathered the same instruction from Master Yoda. It had taken courage for her father and Master to show her the holo. She wasn't exactly okay with the knowledge that her mother had died and left her a spice-addicted baby but the emptiness was a little smaller. The holo at least had given her some perspective about her father. From a powerful Jedi Master to caring for a very ill infant, he was still amazing.

But Master Yoda's instructions had applied to her too. Anakin and Obi-Wan had been honest with her. But something stopped her from opening her mind or her mouth.

_They'll take that datapad away from you. The Council will lock you away and throw away the key. They want to do it already. The Dark Side is in your blood and if you can tell them it hums in your very thoughts, they'll rip your lightsaber from your belt and cut you down. _

_Besides_, Mara argued internally, _they think I am a capable adult. Capable adults don't go crying to their fathers at the first sign of trouble. I can do this._

Both Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at her expectantly. Sadly, she realised they were waiting to see if she would crumble or have another episode like she did with the Jedi Council.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "A little sad and unnerved but fine. I ah, want to thank you for showing me," she responded.

A grin appeared on her father's face and Anakin nodded, his relief apparent through the Force. "We haven't finished out training, not by far," he warned. "Before we can be put back on the mission roster, there is much to be done. The Council has placed as much blame on me, so we are going to have to pull through and show them that we are servants to the Force."

Mara didn't reply—instead, she focused as hard as she could on the Force around her.

_Give me guidance._

And a fully formed idea popped into her head. It was time to look at the datapad.


	14. Answers

**Chapter Thirteen: Answers**

At 18:00, Anakin finally called for an end to their training. Mara had done her best to stay focused but the lingering thought of flipping through a datapad full of information kept her mind occupied. Her father had left master and apprentice to their own devices which had left a considerable amount of silence in his wake.

"Master Yoda would be impressed with your commitment," Anakin noted and Mara wished she could laugh at him. She was nothing if not resourceful and she had orchestrated the entire afternoon to go in her favour. She felt slightly annoyed that the little green know-it-all hadn't even shown up to supervise their training.

However, without Yoda looking over their shoulders, Mara had managed to feign concentration with her Master. And it had certainly paid off.

"Thank you," she replied cordially. "The Force has certainly helped guide me."

She wasn't sure that last comment had convinced him, but Anakin looked relieved anyway. "Are you staying in the Temple?"

Mara thought back to her two weeks away from the Temple. She had stayed in a low-key hotel, not far from the Skywalker private residence. The Council hadn't required her to stay on-site and she had certainly taken advantage. Now that she was back in training and she had developed a truce with her father, she supposed that moving back to their quarters in the temple was the next step.

"Yes," she replied simply.

Anakin nodded enthusiastically. "I'm sure your father will be happy to hear that."

"I'm going to have to move out eventually," she reasoned with him.

Anakin held up his hands in defeat. "That is between the two of you. I'm still getting used to not having the twins underfoot at our place so I can't image he wants to get rid of you that quickly."

Anakin summoned his meditation mat from the floor and it nestled perfectly into his outstretched hand. "I have it on good authority he will be attending a meeting until late tonight though, Mara, so I wouldn't wait."

Mara summoned her own meditation mat and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Master."

"I'll see you in the morning," Anakin gently reminded her and with that, Mara was free.

o0o

The first thing Mara noticed when walking into the Kenobi quarters was the distinct lack of mess. The kitchen was tidy and there were no caf cups scattered around the lounging area. The Holonet looked like it hadn't been touched. When Mara finally got to her own sleeping quarters, however, it looked exactly the same as when she had left.

Her bed was messy and her own Holonet terminal was dirty. Many of her tunics sat where she had left them before going on the mission to Serenno, atop a chair, still unwashed.

Now, she felt like home. Knowing that her father would be late, she dug out the datapad from the depths of her tunic. She had kept the datapad on her person at all times, wondering when she would have the strength to search for the information. Ever since she had been presented with Yoda's vision, the datapad had been burning a hole in her pocket.

She sat on her rumpled bed, and dug out the object. She half expected the voices in her head to return, but her mind was thankfully silent. She exhaled air that she didn't know she was holding.

She quickly logged in and noted that the remote location the information was uploaded to was at half capacity. With the courage of a Jedi, Mara finally logged into the search parameters.

With all the knowledge of Dooku at her fingertips, Mara was suddenly hit with the urge to take the datapad in front of the Council. She was only just a padawan—she was definitely in over her head. But, as the search parameters blinked back at her, she was overcome with the same overwhelming desire she had felt during her vision.

Whatever secrets the datapad held, she needed to know.

Before she could even comprehend what she was doing, her fingers moved seemingly of their own accord. _Marali-Ketana Jade._

She had viewed the brief report but something was telling her there was a lot more information to be viewed. Even now, knowing that Dooku was her maternal grandfather, she was still wholly uninterested. Of course, there might be information about his motivations about turning to the Dark Side or some kind of examination of his involvement in the Clone Wars but the only thing that Mara could consider was her mother.

As Mara sent the request through several hits came up. Each entry was logged chronologically and the only logical explanation Mara could come up with was that her mother had somehow logged journal entries in Dooku's archives.

Which meant that after the incident the Force had shown her, her mother had actually gone back to that wretched place. Somehow, this news didn't actually shock Mara. That place was filled with ghosts and while Mara certainly didn't want to ever go back there, she couldn't deny that some part of her, the same part as her mother, called to her.

With determined hands, she clicked on the earliest entry. Instead of a hololog, Marali-Ketana had written only in text.

_Entry 1: Despite my earlier misgivings, it seems that I have once again entered this place. My mother brought me here, once and I simply ignored her. If I had known then what I know now, I might have lingered here longer. Perhaps it would have prepared me. It is my intention to transfer these entries to the mainframe so that there may be a record of what has happened to me. _

_My father is the devil. Ever since I have been here, words have been speaking to me inside of my head. I have told Mama and she simply said that is part of a gift. _

_I call it a curse._

_This place speaks to me. I cannot escape. When I am sitting down to tea with Mama, the voice reminds me that she is a traitor. It tells me that I wasn't born for this life of servitude and within these walls is the answer. _

_Beyond these walls, I cannot see. Inside of here, they stop but it is more than this that shrinks my bones. When I am in here, I read. I can see entries made by Dooku himself, I can see various writings he and that that wretched man have done. There are schematics of all kinds, most importantly he has left me the way in which to build a weapon, like his. _

_What reason would I need a weapon for? For the Counts? Mama? If I built it, he would be the only one I would strike down. But, as long as I am here, in these walls, the voices stop and maybe I can find myself again. _

Everything about that entry spoke to Mara. The voices—the ones that haunted her every step, were a result of contact with that place. Not for the first time, the idea of telling the Council crossed her mind. If the chamber held schematics, perhaps they could be of some use. The New Republic was at war, but they still had a standing army and in any case, she was sure the Archives at the Temple could probably use the information.

But that opened a door that Mara was unwilling to go through. Telling the Council meant admitting that she had taken the information and she had been concealing it thus far. And the last thing she wanted was to be grounded longer than necessary.

The last time she had faced Council had been a bloodbath. So once again, the notion of confessing was buried deep down. She clicked on the next entry.

_Entry 2- I have been coming down here more often than I like. Dooku is rarely here and I am not sure which side is winning. The Palace is sombre and there are too many whispers of the Jedi. So, Mama and I do our work and in my free time, I am here. The voices continue but I still seem to have peace in the chamber. _

_I have managed to supply a vial of blood so I don't have to keep cutting my hand every time I want to be here. Mama asked me about it the other day. The voice nudged me to lie, so I did. I'm not sure if she believed me. _

_The hologram of my father frightens me still. I'm not exactly a child anymore but the sound of his voice and the way he has programmed it to track my every move is unnerving. I want to leave but I can't. _

_I have tried to sort through the amount of information in the terminal. I've found my registry of birth and some other documentation to prove I am Dooku's heir. _

_I intend to burn the flimsiplast. He doesn't own me. But he's got me intrigued. _

The entry ended abruptly and Mara could feel the approaching signature of her father. In a way, Mara was thankful that she had been interrupted. Her mind was still reeling from the personal information she had read in just two short journal entries from her birth mother.

So, to preserve her own peace of mind, she stashed the datapad away in her room. With a sigh, she attempted to fix her bed coverings and was in the main room of the apartment when her father walked in.

"Dad," Mara greeted, eyeing the package of delicious smelling food he had in his hands. Obi-Wan gave her a tight smile.

"Hello, young one."

She spied the logo on the package. "Dex?"

Obi-Wan held it up for her to see clearly. "My meeting finished early. I thought we might eat, watch something on the Holo and gossip about boys."

She raised her eyebrow as she relieved her father of the delicious smelling package from Dex's Diner. "Like how Corran Horn is _so_ dreamy?"

Obi-Wan chuckled and removed his utility belt, placing it on the kitchen bench. "Now I know you're pulling my leg, young one. You seem to only get pleasure from beating him in lightsaber duels."

Mara found herself laughing along with her father, the stress of the previous two weeks slowly fading away. She pushed the thoughts of her birth mother far into the back of her mind as she organised their plates and sat with her father in front of the Holo.

As her Dad laughed at the sludgenews on the holo, Mara relaxed in her favourite chair. And as quickly as she had pushed it to her mind, the same voice rose up through the ashes of her thoughts.

_She said he didn't own her. She lied. _


	15. Social Engagements

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who is still reading! I apologise for the delay. This story is about to kick into high gear with the angst, so buckle up!**  
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**Chapter Fourteen: Social Engagements**

Mara heaved and panted, sweat pooling on her forehead. She let her fingers twist around the handle of her lightsaber. It felt good in her hand, the weight seemed perfectly matched to her. Mara had been training with a lightsaber since she could remember. At a young age, she had been entranced with watching the older students spar. She loved to see the blur of mixed colours, sweeping and gliding through the air.

That same enchanted feeling had accompanied Mara through her adolescence and she had rarely turned down an opportunity to master the skill. Both her father and her Master were competent at sparring, but Mara had to admit that she loved sparring with Luke.

For a reason Mara had not yet determined, Luke had still not been asked to go off-world. After his successful mission to Vandor-3, Ahsoka had openly praised him to the Council. Mara knew first hand that the Council did whatever they felt like though, and Luke's obvious success as a Jedi Knight did nothing to sway their opinion.

She pushed the thought into the far reaches of her mind lest her shields fail and her thoughts would be leaked into the general Jedi populace. As Luke's lightsaber edged dangerously close to her braid, Mara returned her attention to the task at hand.

She focused on Luke. He was graceful with his blade and the way he balanced his body while he fought was full of stealth and charisma. Above anything, Luke fought with pride, honesty and skill and it was one of the things that kept Mara coming back for more.

She grinned at him as he took a second to catch his breath. "Had enough, Skywalker?"

Instead of answering, Luke lunged at her again, crashing his lightsaber against hers. "Hardly," he boasted. "Although it looks like the little padawan still needs some lessons."

Mara growled and removed her lightsaber away from Luke's and attempted to thrust it to Luke's left. Luke sensed what she was about to do instantly and met her thrust with vigour, sending her balance into a tailspin.

In the split second it took for Mara to regain her footing, Luke took the advantage and came down at her with what could have been a fatal blow. The training blade zapped Mara as it came down on her shoulder. Mara hissed as the contact was made and immediately retracted her own saber. It snapped shut with a firm _click_.

"Murderer!" Mara whined at Luke and winced, the zap having hurt her shoulder blade.

Luke shook his head and retracted his own lightsaber. "Why did you give up?"

Mara glared at Luke and launched her lightsaber across the room. It landed in the bay perfectly. She breathed heavily and undid her thick braid. "You had me beat, Skywalker," Mara pointed out. She moved her tunic out of the way to reveal a large, red welt on her shoulder blade.

Luke shook his head and sent his own lightsaber hurtling across the room. It too fit perfectly in the spot right next to Mara's. Mara didn't miss the mixed look of surprise and disappointment that filled Luke's normally encouraging face.

"Since when has that ever stopped you, Mara?"

For once, Mara had no reply. Before Luke could say anything, Mara's comm loudly announced an incoming call. Luke broke his eye contact and Mara quickly took the commlink out of her pocket.

"Mara," Leia's voice called through the comm. "Is Luke with you?"

"The philosophy master himself is standing right next to me," Mara grumbled.

"Hi Leia," Luke replied diplomatically. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Mara smirked as she could hear her friend sigh over the transmission. "I know you're a Jedi and all, but do you have to be so diplomatic all the time?"

"Says the politician!"

"That's more like it!" Leia enthused. "Just because you're both Jedi, doesn't mean you need to be so boring."

"Who're you calling boring?" Mara pointed out as she grabbed the bottle of water and began to quench her thirst.

"Well, that depends. I know my saber-stuck-in-the-mud brother might protest, but I was hoping the two of you might be free for a small soiree at my place this evening."

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "A party?"

Mara finished her drink and smiled. After being grounded and being persona non grata for two weeks, she had found her prudent Jedi lifestyle to be overwhelming. She might have grown up with the pillars of service and sacrifice but if she was being honest with herself, the conformist lifestyle sometimes haunted her. She didn't even want to consider the dark voices that assaulted both her dreaming and waking moments.

If she were to begin rebuilding her reputation and skills as a Jedi, she would have to be able to navigate the line between her life and that of a Jedi. Her Master had fought for the right for a personal life outside the Temple, and Mara felt she needed to take the opportunity he had afforded her. If Leia, the most level-headed person she knew outside the Temple, wanted to throw a party, she was definitely going to be there.

"Count me in!" Mara enthused as Luke looked at her as if she had birthed a gundark.

"Excellent! Luke?"

"I have Temple duty tonight..."

Mara smirked at him. "It only goes until 20:00. You can surely come afterward. Afraid of having a good time?"

Luke puffed his chest out. Mara knew the way Luke's mind worked. He was a fantastic Jedi—of that she had no doubt. He possessed many of the qualities she admired in Jedi; perseverance, courage, loyalty and a deep sense of duty. It was the latter that often collided with her own vision of what it meant to be a fully-functioning Jedi in society.

Mara was part of the generation of Jedi that had been brought up in the New Jedi Code. She had a great sense of duty, but she believed that she needed an outlet to be herself, away from the conformist doors of the Jedi Temple. Especially now, when her own thoughts and feelings were slowly becoming harder to recognise.

Luke, on the other hand, took his sense of duty entirely too far, in Mara's opinion. Begrudgingly, she acknowledged that his fling with Callista had at least opened the door to a more relaxed and personable Luke. It was a baby step at least.

Luke sighed and ruffled his hair. Mara raised her eyebrows at him. "Come on, Skywalker!"

"The Rogues are going to be there," Leia added.

Luke brightened at the thought of seeing his friends. While they both had many friends in the Temple, as they grew, Luke, Leia and Mara had developed deep friendships with non-Jedi. After Leia had officially left the Temple, she had been able to maintain her friendships with greater ease, particularly with her fellow politician, Winter.

Luke and Mara struggled to keep up with their friends— such was the life of a Jedi. Mara had Mirax and Luke had grown close with the group of men he had flown with during his pilot training.

"I'll come," Luke finally agreed. Mara smiled. She caught Luke's eye for a moment and he rolled his eyes and turned away.

"I'll see you at 20:30 then," Leia said quickly, not waiting for Luke to change his mind. "Don't forget to change!"

The connection was broken and Mara smiled triumphantly. "She's right—don't turn up wearing your blacks."

Luke tried to hide his smile as Mara tugged out her braid and shook out her thick hair. For the quickest moment, Mara wondered what it would feel like to have Luke run his hands through her hair. Her body tingled with the thought. As quickly as it happened, the feeling disappeared. A familiar twinge of darkness replaced her giddiness.

_He'll never want you. _

Her expression must have changed because Luke suddenly looked concerned. "Mara?"

She shook the feeling off and forced a smile onto her face. "I'll see you at Leia's," she tried to enthuse and turned around and left a very confused Luke in her wake.

o0o

Mara had been completely surprised that her father hadn't argued with her about leaving. She wasn't sure what she was expecting but he had virtually pushed her out the door. Mara had been the first to arrive at Leia's and had acted as a gracious secondary host.

Now, the party was in full swing. Everyone was scattered around Leia's grand apartment, drinking wine and generally enjoying themselves. She was thankful that Leia had the foresight to not invite her parents. An evening with her Master hanging off her every move was not appealing.

As a Jedi padawan, Mara was normally forbidden from drinking any alcohol at the Temple or on duty, but she figured that a few wouldn't hurt. She clutched her dainty glass of Alderaani wine and tried to focus on the enjoyment going on all around her.

It was this focus that prevented her from foreseeing Han Solo creeping up behind her. "Look alive, Kenobi."

Mara took a less than dainty sip from her glass. "Why? So I can spend the evening talking to the likes of you?"

Han frowned and tried to grab Mara's glass. "Should you even be drinking this?"

Mara had the sudden urge to punch the scoundrel in his face. She moved the glass away, relishing in the gentle swish of the deep, red liquid as her hand caressed the glass. It was hers. "Who are you, my father?" she snapped.

Han stared at her wide-eyed.

The irritation at Solo dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. She put the glass down.

"Han—,"

He held his hands up. "I'm sorry. I've been trying to get you Jedi types to relax and as soon as you do, I turn into the Princess."

Mara smirked. "You're not wrong," she confessed, sneaking a look at her delicious escape. "But it's a party, Han. The kind of party that I would _like_ to enjoy."

Han stood and extended his hand. "So let's enjoy it."

Mara sighed dramatically and playfully slapped away Han's hand, standing in one swift motion. "You're a hell of a woman, Red. He'll see it one day."

Before Mara could respond to Han's statement, two Rogues, Lando and Corran sans his Jedi robes joined the group.

o0o

Mara had to admit that she was enjoying herself at the party. Luke had flown with Rogue Squadron in his teens as part of a Jedi outsource training program. Mara herself had done her own outsource training with the Smuggler's Alliance, although she would never admit how much she had enjoyed it.

The Rogues were very entertaining. Mara had been intrigued to hear of all their adventures. Their commander, Wedge, had been close by and intervened with the truth on more than one occasion. Mara had also found Mirax, whom she had met on her own travels.

Mara was currently in the role of observer as she spied Mirax trying to discreetly take in the form of her fellow Jedi, Corran. She considered offering to introduce the pair but she recalled the way Corran had yanked on her padawan braid after she had lost their last sparring match. She decided that it wasn't her responsibility to play matchmaker and kept her feet firmly in place.

Not for the first time, she looked at the chrono embedded in Leia's wall. Luke wasn't just late. He was bordering on not actually attending. Leia had tried to contact him using a variety of methods that had yielded no results. Mara made herself scarce as Leia had even commed her parents. Anakin's stern face had burned into her retinas for long enough and she wanted to escape his look if at all possible.

"Drink?" Mirax interrupted, shoving what Mara assumed was Corellian-style hard liquor into her hand. She saw Corran crinkle his nose in the distance, and she wondered whether he would have something to say.

She took the offered drink and tried to relax when Corran averted his eyes from the pair of them. She took pity. "He's a stand-up citizen," Mara said, taking a tiny, experimental sip of the drink. "If you're into that."

Mirax's eyes blazed. "I- what?"

Mara rolled her eyes, completely versed in the art of denial. Even if she hadn't picked up on the glances all evening, she was a Jedi. She could feel Corran's eyes on Mirax and felt undeniably happy and empty at the tingling of the Force around them. She briefly wondered if Leia felt it too.

"Can Jedi even...you know? Because I'm not really into the whole forbidden love, miserable all the time thing," Mirax added.

"Sure can," Mara confirmed. "You can thank our lovely hostess for that one. Her parents have the patent on the star-crossed lovers cliché. Quite nauseating, really."

Mirax's eyes lit up and she thrust her own drink into Mara's hand. "You're alright, Kenobi. Shame you're a woman of the cloth."

Mara laughed in spite of herself. "I'm a master of weaponry and peace. The Jedi are already walking contradictions. I'm sure Corran will tell you all about it."

With a thankful smile, Mirax turned and left Mara holding the pair of drinks. Mirax practically lit up when Corran leant in close. Mara wasn't sure where he learnt how to woo a woman—he was a Jedi after all. Perhaps his own Master had been a smooth talker.

Mara had grown up with two male Jedi role models—which meant that she and Leia were very well-protected when it came to such matters. Maybe that was why she was unable to communicate her real feelings to Luke. She looked at the chrono again. She had the sinking feeling that he wasn't going to attend.

She tried to see the bright side of it—she had reconnected with old friends and made some new ones. All outside the confines of the Jedi Temple. The old her might have considered this a success. But that was before. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but some things failed to fill her with peace and joy. Her mind convinced her that she wasn't good enough. Her heart told her that everything around her was lacking something. Where she was once content, she was now troubled.

A part of her knew that she should speak to her Master or her father. They would probably know how to help but she could see the troubled looks on their faces in her mind's eye. That's why she couldn't say anything. She had let them both down enough for a lifetime.

In the middle of her internal monologue, Mara's awareness of the Force around her trembled. Her arms felt weak as the uneasy feeling intensified. She locked eyes with Corran, who seemed to feel it too.

Mara turned her attention to the doors just as Luke walked through them. If she wasn't so concerned about the vibe she was receiving from him, she might've welcomed the intense emotion she felt as she saw him.

He still wore his Jedi blacks and his hair was messed in a way that she knew he hadn't had time to even consider changing. Leia reached Luke before she did.

Thankfully, nobody else seemed to notice the Jedi business. Corran must have excused himself from Mirax's company because Mara felt him appear beside her. She didn't dare turn to look at him though—she was completely transfixed on Luke.

His face conveyed just as much as his unease in the Force did. Gone were his expressive eyes—replaced with eyes that reflected fear and concern.

"Luke?" Leia asked. "What's happened?"

Luke and Leia may have been twins, but Mara felt Luke clearer than anything.

"War," she whispered.


	16. Meetings

**Chapter Fifteen: Meetings**

Mara felt her heart hammering against her chest. If everything she sensed from Luke was true, why hadn't she felt it rip through her? The Force should have told her that beings in the galaxy were suffering.

"What do you mean, war? Is the Senate aware of this? Emergency session?" Leia demanded.

Luke shook his head. "It hasn't happened yet, Leia."

"War is coming," Mara interrupted. "The Jedi have felt it."

Luke nodded in agreement. "About three hours ago, Dad was called into chambers. Serenno has sent over delegates to Gallispied and a unit of battle droids with their contingent."

Leia looked scandalised. "They were outlawed after the Clone Wars!"

"A stockpile. Right underneath our noses," Mara breathed.

"There aren't a lot of us planet-side, Luke," Corran rushed to say. "And Master Windu isn't going to be able to disarm a full unit of battle droids on their own. A trade dispute, sure, but if it escalates?"

Leia shook her head. "I'm comming my office." She paused. "And then Mom."

Luke sighed. "I'm sure she's at her office already. The Queen has probably requested a meeting—Naboo sources a lot of building materials from Gallispied. She'll want to prepare."

He then looked at Mara and Corran. "We have to leave, we're meeting in chambers and if I'm right, we'll be leaving for Gallispied within the next hour."

Mara shivered as the weight of his words finally came tumbling down onto her. They were being called to Gallispied which was on the brink of war with Serenno.

And it might've been all her fault.

o0o

Mara could barely concentrate as she sat in on a Council meeting. The Masters discussed amongst themselves what their plans would be, vastly ignoring the small group of Knights and herself in the middle. She wasn't sure why she felt fear—or guilt. She was trying to shield as best as she could but she caught glimpses of her father's concerned face on amongst the sea of Jedi Masters.

"Concerned, Master Windu is," Master Yoda said solemnly. "Battle droids can be activated at any time."

"He is right to be, Master. We need to find out what the Counts' intentions are and discover the command station. Those droids can wipe out an entire group of Senators and negotiators in the space of a minute," Anakin said, his well-earned title of General showing itself.

"Have we any idea of intention? Perhaps they are merely trading the battle units?" Master Ti added. "Illegal, of course, but perhaps they are not a precursor to war."

Mara felt as if she were standing amongst giants. All the Masters spoke so eloquently and were so attuned to the Force. They probably felt the shift in the Force that eluded her within seconds. Many of them had fought in the Clone Wars and she knew that would give them an advantage.

"The Senate has been notified," Mara's father confirmed. "They have requested three negotiators and a group of Senators and aides from close systems to accompany our contingent. We must allow the Senate to intervene before involving the Jedi." He looked at Anakin. "Master Skywalker has already established that Serenno has no interest in brokering deals with Jedi influence. If we are to intervene, it is to be as a last resort."

"Agree, this Council does," Master Yoda paused. "But prepared, we must be. Send a contingent, the Council will. Show Serenno that the Jedi support Gallispied. Spread out, amongst the moons and three planets and some on the outlying systems, we will have."

Mara tried to concentrate as the Council began to separate the remaining Jedi. Adrenaline penetrated every part of her body. She saw Luke discussing arrangements with his father and Corran began to sign off on Jedi transport.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Officially, she was grounded. Technically, so was her Master, thought she doubted Master Yoda would inflict the ban on General Skywalker. She wasn't sure she was welcome on the expedition. If not, where would that leave her?

She noticed that she was the only padawan even at the meeting. The hour was late and many of the other padawans were probably asleep, safe in the temple. She didn't want to be tucked into her bed. She gripped her lightsaber, hidden safely under her civilian clothes. Her datapad sat in a holster close to her stomach. She was meant to be out there, wielding a saber and trying to broker peace. She deserved to be.

Her thoughts led her to strange and familiar places. She had been through this before. She should have listened then.

"Mara," Luke interrupted her with a calm and familiar hand on her already tense shoulders. "Are you okay with that?"

She frowned. "Okay with what?"

Anakin appeared behind Luke, his eyes looking more tired than ever. "We're on the strike team, Mara."

She was confused. "Strike team? I'm not grounded?"

Anakin shook his head. "I need you. If we're going to have to take down a command centre in unknown space, you and your magic datapad are going to come in handy."

Mara felt elated that he still trusted her. An idea came to her. "I have a contact who might be able to help us. She's a smuggler and sometimes she deals in information."

Anakin nodded. "Do it. Meet me to dock at 0100. We're taking the _Defender_."

Mara agreed and hoped Mirax would still be awake. She felt Luke's hand slip into her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. It gave her comfort.

"I hope it doesn't come to this," she admitted. "We train for moments like these, Luke, but I was raised to be a guardian of the peace. If war breaks out, we'll feel none."

"It won't come to that," he said forcefully. "My mother and your father are on the team sent to negotiate on Gallispied. They'll surrender the battle droids."

Her face softened. "I hope you're right, Skywalker."

She felt a familiar presence behind her and she turned around and was enveloped in the strong, sturdy arms of her father. "I was hoping you would stay here, out of harm's way," he admitted. "But you rarely do anything I want you to do anyway."

She breathed in his scent. The past few weeks had been difficult for them. She was confident they would be fine. She could feel him through the Force, like a beacon. Blood or not, he was her father and she loved him. But her sense of duty was something she learnt from him and the Order at a young age.

She smiled softly. "I know, Dad."

He pulled back. "Be careful. Watch out for both my padawans. I know better than most they are a handful."

She eyed her Master and Luke who were loading their ship, along with the rest of their strike team.

"You and Padmé stay safe, Dad. May the Force be with you."

He bowed. "And also with you."

o0o

Mara watched as the ship holding her father and Padmé launched for Gallispied. She didn't have time to think though, as hers was next to launch.

"The farthest moon from Serenno is our best vantage point. We should be able to remain secretive there," Anakin commanded. "The _Defender_ is big but she'll hide easily enough."

"I hope we won't have to use her," Luke added. "She's connected to the _Interlude_?"

Anakin confirmed it and within moments, she ship had launched. A dark feeling passed through Mara.

_War is coming. Are you fighting on the right side?_

She pushed the haunting thought as far down into herself as she could and prayed to the Force that she could keep a hold on the ugly thoughts that were starting to possess her every move and action in the Force. She was strong—stronger than most. She could do this.

"Is this my fault?"

The words were out of her mouth before her mind even registered saying them. Luke stared at her, his mouth slightly open. She could feel his shock and concern.

Anakin didn't look at her as he furiously programmed into the console. "Of course not," he said unconvincingly.

"Mara, no," Luke said gently. "They've been stockpiling those droids since the Clone Wars. They were former Separatists. They've been avoiding the Jedi for years. It makes sense."

It made a degree of sense but Mara knew herself. "It can't be a coincidence. Me? A bastard daughter of a Force-sensitive refugee from Serenno opens up the cave of the Sith and suddenly we're at war?"

"Luke's right," Anakin answered. "There's no point trying to convince yourself that you're the problem here Mara." He finally turned around and made eye contact with her. "This has nothing to do with you. You're a padawan. You didn't start a war."

His words felt empty against the growing hole in her heart.

"I need you here," Anakin stressed. "Do your duty. You need to be ready."

She could do that, couldn't she? She wasn't grounded anymore, which meant she had proved herself capable of returning to her duties as a Jedi. Mara wasn't convinced she was blameless but the Force told her that she needed to be here—she had a role to play.

Luke looked at her encouragingly. "Mara?"

She nodded. "I'm here. I'm ready."

The ship kicked into hyperdrive and she heard the sound of tense chatter in the meeting room behind her. "You're on first shift," Anakin said tersely and promptly left the cockpit. "Luke, you need to get some sleep. Come on."

Before leaving, Luke gave her a small smile. "Some party, hey?"

She returned the sentiment. "It's official. You're the galaxy's biggest party pooper, Skywalker."

"If it's any consolation, you looked lovely," he said slowly. Mara barely covered her own surprise as Luke's face became tinged with red. "Wake me if anything happens," he added and then he was gone.

Mara watched as her only company, the stars, mocked her as they sped through the endless night.

o0o

The entire trip had been tense. Mara had spent hours in tactical meetings with the rest of the strike team. They had made a short stop which revealed Ahsoka Tano as the last member of the strike team.

She had taken one look around and snorted, her red robes standing out against the gloomy grey of the _Defender_. "Looks like I got recruited to the Sky Team. Where's The Negotiator?"

"Trying to negotiate," Anakin said wryly. He then turned his attention back to the strike plans. Mara had hugged Ahsoka briefly before being charged with cockpit duty.

Fortunately, Mirax's contact had come through and had verified a shipment of various weapons and droid technology to a Count on Serenno. Anakin hadn't been surprised at the news, but both Luke and Mara felt his unease through the Force.

"We need to locate the command centre first," Anakin had said during their latest meeting. "We'll send out single scouts around the perimeter. The centre has to be destroyed with as little damage to civilians as possible."

"Master, are there normally sentient beings operating the command centre?"

Mara knew the answer but a part of her wanted confirmation. Her Master had taken one of these out as a child and it was a lot to live up to. Any one of them, including her had to take the shot if at all possible. Mara knew the stakes but the idea of ending a life scared her. She respected and celebrated all life but the burgeoning darkness inside her that the voice kept reminding her of was a wild card.

"Yes," Ahsoka replied curtly. Nothing more was said.

It was the dead of night when the _Defender_ finally reached the D'Astan sector. Anakin had expertly co-ordinated a systematic approach to a search of the area. Mara couldn't help feel excited at the thought of being cast among the Jedi Knights. Her instructions were the same as theirs and she had her own specialised mission.

Her datapad worked wonders. She had been proud of herself—not once had she been tempted during the trip to source any more information she had recovered from Dooku's palace. What had once delivered heartbreaking and terrifying information now sliced through telecommunications and signals.

"Negative," Luke's voice came over the comm system.

"Understood," Anakin's voice replied. "Start the next sector. Mara?"

"Negative," she echoed. "I don't think—"

A beeping from her datapaid interrupted them. "Hang on."

Her eyes widened as the read through the information her datapad had gained from the nearest satellite.

"Sith," she breathed as her Jedi training took over and she tried to reign in her panic.

"Kenobi?" Anakin's voice sounded again. "Our status?"

"Master, it's a trap!" she practically yelled through the commlink. "They know we're here. There's no command centre. There are battle droids at every location where Jedi are stationed and each unit is controlled remotely."

Her blood ran cold.

_Meditate. A Jedi does not panic. Calm. _

"Master, there are seventy units stationed around Gallispied."

Before her Master could speak, her link to the _Interlude_, her father's ship buzzed insistently. "Luke?"

"I've got it too," he replied hurriedly.

NEGOTIATIONS STARTED. SERENNO AND GALLISPIED SEEM TO BE WORKING THINGS OUT. UNITS HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVATED.

"Dad, they think Serenno and Gallispied are at war. We're being played."

"Get back to the ship," Anakin's voice commanded and their connection went silent.

* * *

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	17. Phantoms

**Chapter Sixteen: Phantoms**

"We fell for it," Ahsoka said quietly as the other members of the strike team busied themselves in preparation for the coming attack. _Rescue plan_, Mara reminded herself. "They tricked even Master Windu, Skywalker!"

"We have the advantage," Anakin said sternly. "They think they have all the Jedi cornered."

Anakin then looked at the Mara. "Kenobi?"

Mara nodded and stepped forward, connecting her datapad to the holo, making sure she hid away the access to her personal information. Now wasn't the time for dark revelations.

"Gallispied have seventy battle units over the planet." She zoomed in on the image. "The highest concentration is in the capital, where the so-called peace talks with Serenno are taking place. Our negotiation team is here."

Mara then brought up more images. "Master...General Skywalker has transmitted orders to the Council and the outlying teams. Rescue and strike teams have been set up in the rest of the Jedi positions. It seems that the outlying planets have no part in this deception."

Anakin nodded to her and she stepped back. "Serenno and Gallispied want to deliver a blow to either the Republic, the Jedi Order or both. The battle units need to be deactivated. The Republica Navy has been called into service in an emergency session in Senate."

_Leia_, Mara thought to herself.

"Let me make this clear. Our objectives are to rescue the teams and take out the battle units. Intel indicates that specific individuals are going to be holding the remote units. Retrieve them."

Everyone was silent.

"May the Force be with you," Luke finally said and everyone moved off.

o0o

Mara had spent the short amount of time she had before the mission in her cramped quarters. She hadn't slept and was trying to meditate. Everything she held dear was connected to the fate of this mission. She should have realised that Serenno's hatred of both the Republic and the Jedi ran deep. In retrospect, it had been obvious at the negotiations. Her mind had been preoccupied, however. She wondered just how much damage Dooku had done if they were going to such extreme lengths. It would cause the Republic to have to put any former Separatist systems under close scrutiny.

In short, the galaxy was about to turn into chaos. They had had twenty years of relative peace. Why now? There was a feeling Mara carried with her in the back of her mind. Anakin and Luke had assured her that the deceit had nothing to do with her. How could it? She was just one Jedi—still a padawan.

_A powerful one_, the voice reminded her. She fought back and silenced it. Her mother hadn't been able to fend off against the onslaught but she was stronger. She had to be. The return of Mara had nothing to do with Serenno's choice to bring anarchy into their structured, organised world.

Another fact taunted her—she was technically a Count. With her mother dead and no other family, her claim to being a Count would be undisputed. She let herself wonder if she hadn't been smuggled off world, tucked into the spice-ridden womb of her mother, would she be amongst the deceitful Counts now?

Mara was tired of the constant war inside of her. More than ever she wanted to break down and confess. She was slowly being split in two—she was a Jedi, a champion of peace and also a terrified and scared woman on the brink of what felt like eternal darkness.

She tried to relax and focus on her meditation. Now was the time to be sharp. She could fall apart when this was over.

There was a knock at her door. She could sense who was on the other side. She didn't answer. The door opened to reveal a tired looking Luke. "Can I come in?"

Mara didn't move her body, only nodded her head. He sat next to her on the tiny bed, mirroring her posture. "Thank you," he said. "Because of you we might actually stand a chance."

Mara closed her eyes and tried to channel her emotions into serenity. "The Force guides us, Skywalker. I just hope we're not too late."

She felt a soft kiss on her forehead. It calmed her. "I'll see you out there, Red."

She didn't even notice as Luke slipped out of the room.

o0o

Mara's civilian clothes suffocated her. Her functional Jedi tunic was on safely underneath but she missed her robes. The large, shift dress did nothing for her. However, if they were to successfully dock close to the capital, their disguises had to fool the guards. As far as they were aware, the attacks hadn't been launched and Gallispied was still conducting business as usual.

Time and surprise were on their side and they intended to use it. Once again, Mara had been given the same mission as both Luke and Ahsoka. They had each been assigned an area and were required to find and identify the individuals with control over the battle units. Mara's hand longed to touch her lightsaber but she didn't dare. It was accessible but hidden and it would have to do for now.

They agreed that as a padawan who wasn't completely recognisable throughout the galaxy, Mara would be responsible for the talking. She had tucked her flame red hair into a hood and darkened her face with some Elsh makeup. Everyone was ready, although Mara could sense the tension in the cabin.

There was a lot at stake. Not just the decommissioning of the battle droids, but the rescue of her father and Padmé weighed on everyone's minds. It was during moments like this that Mara completely understood why the Order had banned emotional attachments. She loved her father more than anything, and no matter what was happening between her and Anakin, Padmé had always been there for her.

There was no way she was leaving without them, and she could say the same for the Skywalkers and Ahsoka. "Are we all clear?" Anakin asked.

"Yes Master," she said, mimicking Ahsoka. She took a deep breath. Her time was now.

o0o

She still couldn't believe that their deception had worked. Mara had put on quite a performance—a skill she hadn't really ever used until today. When it had looked as if they were going to refuse them, she had relented and used the Jedi mind trick. They then passed through without incident. The remaining strike team were still on board and had their orders.

With only a nod, Mara took the first exist. A part of her wanted to scream and turn back and follow the rest or even stow away back on the _Defender_.

The better part of her won. She felt Luke through the Force and convinced herself that he would be fine. If anything, she was the one that needed protecting. She was all too aware that she was still a padawan with at least two years until she even had the opportunity to take her trials. It was amazing that she was even allowed on the mission, especially unsupervised. Anakin must have pled her case to the Council very effectively. She was going to do it properly this time.

Mara kept her head down as she walked through the streets of Gallispied. It reminded her of Serenno, except the structures shot upwards. It wasn't as grand as Coruscant, or even Naboo, but still held some beauty in its antique architecture. For the most part, the beings ignored her. She spotted only humans as she made her way to the looming building that were home to the negotiations.

_And the battle units_, Mara reminded herself. She couldn't lose focus. For reasons still unknown, Serenno and Gallispied wanted to see the Jedi dealt a swift blow. Right now, Mara thought Anakin suspected that they wanted to show they had power and not actually activate the units. Mara didn't agree. If they had gone to the trouble to organise the deception, they had a reason.

The building loomed in the distance. Ultimately, the entire strike team would end up there. It was Mara's job to get them into the building. Anakin had put his trust into her so she knew she could do it. After she was able to break into the building, she would hack the alarm systems. Then, it was time to get out of there.

Mara had much more faith in her fellow Jedi than herself. She wholeheartedly believed that once she did her own duty, they would be able to save the day. Anakin and Luke rarely worked together, but when they did, it was explosive. She thought about Luke. She could feel that he was very focused on the task at hand. The best way to encourage him, she thought, was to honour her own commitments and get the job done.

It took her a half hour on foot to reach the building. Considering the whole conference was a farce and the two systems were in the midst of a cold war, there wasn't a lot of security surrounding the building.

Mara pulled the hood further over her head, hoping her tell-tale red locks were securely tucked inside. It was now or never. She spotted the customary two guards at the front of the entrance. Using skills she hadn't had the time to refine, she tried to ascertain whether the Jedi mind trick would work on her.

Luckily, it seemed that they were. She walked up the steps. Predictably, they gripped their blasters and ganged up on her with stern faces. "Identify yourself."

Mara looked directly into the guard's eyes. "I need to get into the building."

His eyes glazed over and Mara wanted to shriek with happiness. Her father and Padmé were in there and she was one mind trick away from ensuring their safety.

"Go through," the guard responded.

"Wait a minute!" the other guard interrupted before Mara could push past her. She turned her attention to the other guard. "I need to pass," she demanded, more insistently.

_Watch as it happens_, a voice commanded. She looked amazed as the other guard's eyes glazed and he silently moved out of the way. The fact that she had taken control of another being's mind was astounding. She never realised just how powerful it could make a Jedi feel. She knew the Jedi had power, but she rarely used it. Not this kind.

_You liked it,_ the voice accused her.

Finally, she came to her senses. Her path inside the building was clear. She had done it. She didn't wait any longer and entered the building. Her first impression was that the Gallispied government was holding out on the rest of their population.

The entire building took opulence to the extreme. There were large pillars holding up the foundations for the floors, which allowed Mara excellent vantage points. She spotted a terminal close to her point. With quick and silent hands, she pulled out her datapad. The ground floor wasn't particularly busy but there were staff manning the turbolifts and a few guards with blasters.

_Only human. One shot and they're dead._

Steadfastly ignoring the voice in her head, Mara frowned as she spotted a pair of beings walking to the nearest turbolift. The human she didn't recognise but from his clothing, it looked as if he were part of the Serenno contingent. What was more starting was his companion.

_Neimoidian. _

Cato Neimoidia wasn't a close system. Something wasn't right. She suddenly remembered that she had a job to do. In the split second the entry staff was facing the opposite direction, Mara ran to the farthest pillar, as quick as her legs would take her. She barely managed to get there. She gathered her breath and turned to face the wall.

She couldn't help but congratulate herself. Her job was nearly over. She plugged the datapad into the terminal. Her mission was to give control of the internal systems and the alarms to the Jedi. Once control was handed over, she could use the internal sensors to pinpoint the exact locations of the battle droids and the control devices.

Mara would transfer this information to the rest of the team and try and evacuate as many staff as possible. After that, there was an escape shuttle the rest of the team had planted with her name on it.

Do her thing and get the kriff out.

Mara hoped it would be that easy but she had a bad feeling about it. There was a soft beep from the datapad, indicating that Mara's hacking skills were needed. Her heart raced as her fingers worked, inputting codes and slicing through information. This is what she was good at.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. If she could get hold of one of the remote droid controllers, maybe she'd be able to reprogram it. It was risky and would mean defying her Master. Right now the objective was to remove the immediate threat and return to Coruscant. But she could do this.

Finally, her datapad let out a triumphant noise. She yanked it from the wall, its display screen a bright red. She hurriedly typed in her message and sent the override codes. Within moments, she received three affirmative messages. If their timing was right, once Mara cut off the turbolift and alarm access to the higher floors, Anakin would enter and Mara would have to then evacuate the lower levels.

Well, that was the original plan. If she could get her hands on the controller, just one, it would make this mission worth something. With expert fingers and some courage borrowed from the Force, Mara cut the power.

_It's done._

If she wasn't a Jedi, she probably would have missed Anakin's form sneaking in. She was still relatively hidden behind the pillar and could watch with ease. She held her breath as Anakin was confronted by a member of staff. He brushed her off easily and she followed the direction his eyes were trailing.

A staircase.

Suddenly, a voice resounded in her head.

_Obi-Wan knows we're here and knows they're being set up. Evacuate the ground floor now. _

She didn't hesitate. One push from her finger and the alarms were nearly deafening. On Coruscant, if alarms went off, people generally went about their business very calmly. Here, it was as if they worshipped chaos and anarchy.

Bodies were pouring down the stairs in a frantic manner. The recording that accompanied the alarm started chiming in, instructing everyone to move to safety. Mara ignored the sound advice. She grabbed the datapad out of the socket. She leant forward and envisioned a clear path through the chaos.

As she weaved through the crowd, through her peripheral vision, she saw a familiar blonde figure enter the fray. She pushed on, hoping he wouldn't see her. With a quick reminder to herself, she wrapped herself in the Force, hoping the others would be too distracted to notice her presence.

Finally, she was at the turbolift on the far side. The turbolifts had automatically been disabled with the alarm but under her guidance, they sprang open. The crowd of people were beginning to thin so Mara assumed the lower levels of the building were just about emptied. The doors finally closed and faster than she expected, she was ascending.

Mara thought about what she was about to walk into. Luke would have to walk up the staircase so that bought her some time. She hadn't seen Ahsoka but that didn't mean that she wasn't here. If her father knew of the deception, he would be orchestrating a safe exit for everyone.

Her mission was to focus on getting her hands on the remote. Her faithful datapad was soon in her hands and Mara was furiously typing away. If she could scan the area for a signal, she could narrow down her options. She glared at the screen—it wouldn't be quick. But she didn't have time to sit and wait in the turbolift. She was coming up to the sixth floor. It was showtime.

She shoved the still calibrating datapad into its protective holder and readied her lightsaber. She extended herself and felt the Force around her. There wasn't anyone standing guard. If she was right, most of the delegates would be in the central meeting room.

The turbolift finally came to a stop. The door slid open and Mara, lightsaber in hand, stepped out. She breathed a sigh of relief as she confirmed she was alone, for the moment at least. She peeked around the left corner. With stealthy movements, she crept out of the turbolift. The very moment her boots hit the marbled floor, the sixth floor alarm began to sound.

Anakin.

She heard the sound of doors opening down the hallway. But before she could run in the opposite direction, she spied the figure of the Neimoidian down the left corridor. Her mind buzzed and suddenly, his familiarity registered. It was Rune Haako, one of the officers of Nute Gunray. He had been an instrumental figure in the Battle of Naboo, all those years ago. She dropped her shields and shouted to Anakin, her father and Luke.

_Neimoidians are here. Got to be behind the battle droids._

Just as Haako exited the room, Mara's heart sank and she felt fear bubble up inside of her, taking control of every part of her body. Behind him, what looked like a Serenno High Officer and another Neimoidian were dragging a bound Padmé.

And before Mara could move or speak, the sound of a blaster penetrated her ears and the near-deafening alarms and the body of Padmé dropped to the ground.


	18. Instinct

**Chapter Sixteen: Instinct**

Screaming. That was all Mara could hear. It pierced her ears and struck her very soul. The Force around her shook with fear. The sound reverberated in her skull, pressing and pounding until she realised the strangled sound was coming from her. Padmé's body was still- no rise and fall of her chest. No life there whatsoever. Time must have been distorted as it took nearly a full thirty seconds for the Officer and the Neimoidian to register her.

She's dead. She's dead. Padmé is dead.

"Jedi!" the Neimoidian screamed. The Serenno Officer stared at her with both fear and understanding in his eyes. It was then she noticed the still-smoking blaster in the Neimoidian's hands. He had killed her.

"Get her!" the Neimoidian screeched. And then, Mara saw red. Her heart began to beat and every dark feeling she had been storing in her body rose. Every inch of her felt as if she was on fire. Her body hummed and sizzled, the Force burning its way past her flesh and burrowing into her bones. She had been surrounded by the Force her whole life. She knew the calm, serenity and power that came along with it.

This did not leave her calm and serene. This was anger. This was hate. This was fury.

Give in, the voice urged her, more excited than it has ever been. Do it. Finish it. As the Officer lunged at her, the Neimoidian caught her eye and took off in the opposite direction. The alarms still rang insistently and finally, doors began to open. Many people began to spill out in a panic. Mara didn't take her eyes off the Neimoidian.

Her eyes narrowed and partially hidden in the depths of his cloak, was the object she had been looking for. The remote looked so small and inconspicuous but Mara knew that with just one code, it could activate enough droids to cause the Jedi serious problems.

She needed that remote.

The fire in her veins spurred her on and finally, the officer reached her. Throngs of panicked civilians pushed and shoved in an effort to reach the staircase, but Mara took no notice. With a small flick of her hand, the officer went hurtling through the air.

Mara then sprang into action. A small part of her fought against the vast amount of darkness that was slowly taking over but the sound of the blaster and the vision of Padmé falling to the ground overtook every notion of peace she had.

She closed herself off. The rest of the strike team, not to mention her father and Master Windu, if he was indeed stationed here too, would execute the original plan. Kriff, she thought painfully, as the Neimoidian wove expertly through the people scurrying down the hall. The Skywalkers.

She fought back a sob as she pictured her Master, falling to the ground in grief and sorrow. She saw Luke, holding Leia as they cried, preparing their mother's body for the Nubian Funeral March. Except right now, they were all busy averting another galaxy-wide war and didn't know their matriarch was lying dead on the floor.

And she was supposed to be hiding.

The Neimoidian started to gain speed but Mara was faster. Suddenly, she heard her father's voice in her head.

Get out of here, young one. Your work is done. We've disarmed twelve of the remotes.

She was surprised they had worked so quickly. Something was not right about the whole mission. She wanted to tell him so badly but she couldn't risk it.

Padmé is dead. Padmé is dead.

She ignored him and rounded the corner. Her Master's eyes burned into her. He would have felt it too but he was a Jedi Master, he couldn't stop everything to avenge her. She pictured him ripping the Neimoidian's head cleanly from his slimy body with his bare hands, rage overcoming him.

The image nearly stopped her in her tracks. Had she just witnessed a vision? She didn't have time to think about it. Anakin wasn't going to kill him.

She was.

Get out of here, her father insisted and again, she ignored him. She was nearly with him, she was so close. She ignited her saber and the crowd hurrying through the corridors barely registered her. Finally, the end of the hallway was in sight. Her datapad beeped insistently, telling her that a remote was close. She had spotted it in the Neimoidian's robes so she ignored it.

The Neimoidian took a quick turn to the left and Mara followed him through an elegant archway, into a secluded room. This would be his tomb. With a quick hiss, the door closed behind her. It was her, the scum that had killed the only mother she had ever known and the hum of her now-ignited lightsaber.

He did it, the dark place in her mind rationalised. Gallispied and Serenno had no power since the end of the Clone Wars. The whole thing was a setup and history had taught her that the Trade Federation and probably all of Cato Neimoidia hated the Jedi. They had set them up and provided stockpiled battle droids and now Mara was going to get his remote and reprogram it to deactivate all the droids and remotes.

"Hand it over," she hissed at him, extending her hand.

"Jedi," he hissed. "You are all scum!"

He killed Padmè. He killed Padmè.

And suddenly, Mara wasn't interested in talking any more.

The small part of her mind that her rage contained took over and then she was standing over him, the Force powering her darkened mind and body and with a precise cut, her blade cut through the Neimoidian's neck. She screamed with anger, fury, grief and the feeling of absolute power cut through her as his head rolled away from his body, the searing heat of the saber's power cauterising the wound.

There was a single word going through her mind which both comforted and frightened her.

Good.

And then, there was nothing but her, her now disengaged saber and the sick feeling in her heart. A Jedi shall not know anger. That lesson was everything to her, it was the cornerstone of a Jedi. Had she betrayed that? She dropped to her knees and fished out the remote from his pockets.

It hadn't been buried deep. She probably could have summoned it through the Force. She stared at the corpse on the floor and it finally occurred to her that she was a murderer. What was more startling was that she had murdered him in cold blood as an act of revenge and, even sitting here as there was finally drops of blood leaking onto the floor and probably onto her clothes, she didn't care.

She was glad she had done it. The Force had filled her completely and she had revelled in the feel of absolution as she killed the being who had killed Padmè.

Things were far from over, though and she remembered the remote sitting in her hands. Everything would be over, soon. She picked it up and noticed the distinct markings at the top. They looked like military markings from Serenno at first glance, but she would have to send them to be analysed.

A loud crash interrupted her and the door suddenly buzzed open. She sprang to her feet, certain she hadn't done that and then the sound of blasters firing outside confirmed it. She reignited her saber and moved to the side of the room. This was the end of the hallway, so if it was battle droids moving down, she would have to act fast and get out of there.

From memory, there was another room on the right further up. If she could just get there, then she'd be able to avoid entrapment. She steeled her nerves. If the droids were advancing down the hallway, she'd have to be on her guard and fast. She raised her saber and took a deep breath.

As she peered around the corner, into the hallway, her heart dropped as she saw a small battalion of droids coming down. "Kriff," she swore to herself. There were more than she had anticipated. They were equipped with life sign detectors so she had to be cunning and try and outsmart the machines, if that was even possible.

She stuck to her original plan. The sooner she was out of harm's way, the sooner she could help. Nobody had obviously been able to do more than pinpoint the locations, which meant that she was needed. Without even a glance to the corpse, she raised her saber and ran for the room.

The droids were faster than she thought. They had gained more ground that she had expected. Within seconds, blaster shots were being fired at her. She duck and wove through the onslaught and let the Force, which had stopped its fiery attack on her body, guide her hand to fight the shots hurtling towards her. The ease in which she could do it surprised her. She had been a steady hand in training before, but these were the movements of a Master.

She didn't have time to contemplate because through the droids, she spied a familiar figure before the Force alerted her to his presence. Luke.

"Mara!" he shouted, his own lightsaber in the air. In another repeat of slow motion, the back half of the droids immediately turned to face him. The front half kept their sights on her.

Padmè. Padmè.

Get out of here, Mara sent to him. It was no use. He ignored her request because that's what Luke did. The contrast struck her as they both fought on opposite ends of the unit. He was doing everything in his power to get to her and here she was, fighting her way out of the dead end and the being she had just murdered.

Luke could hold his own and Mara prayed to the Force to keep him safe. She finally spotted the door on her right, about three body lengths down.

Get to the door, she sent him. With the two of them there, they might stand a chance to hack the remote.

I'll clear a path, he sent back. As his lightsaber went up, his other hand went out and three droids directly in his way went flying in her direction. She moved her body to the right and struck down three more in front of her.

She moved through the gap and reached the door, striking down more droids as she tried to find the access panel with her elbow. Luke was close now and he pushed another two droids back, trying to wield his lightsaber with his other hand. Just as Mara found the manual control, the sound of two blaster shots rose above the others.

She followed them and watched as another four sounded and again, time slowed down. She whipped her head around to see a figure standing at the end of the hallway, covered in a cloak, a single lock of red hair peaking out. The blaster looked and sounded different to those carried by the droids. In a flash, the figure was gone and all Mara could hear was the tortured sound of Luke's screaming.

The smell of burnt flesh struck her as she stared at what used to be Luke's arm on the floor. Her own arm began to throb but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind and sliced through the unfortunate droids who stood between her and Luke.

He finally clamped down on his pain long enough for Mara to pull him, pushing and slicing the oncoming droids. Between them, they had cut down nearly half but without any way to deactivate them, more could come around the corner at any moment.

"Hold on, Skywalker," Mara muttered and with a final blast of the Force, she pulled Luke through the door and it shut automatically behind them. Luke groaned and Mara lowered them both to the floor. If she didn't act now, Luke was going to bleed to death. She had just killed a being, she couldn't panic now. Too much had been lost already-and this was Luke.

"Kriff," she swore as she clamped her hand down on the stump of his arm. Everything from the elbow down was just gone. He was starting to turn white, and the blood was everywhere. Maybe if she could get to his arm, Master Offee or even Cilghal could save it.

Luke had heard her. "No," he croaked. Mara was surprised he could even speak. "It's gone. You go out there, you're dead."

Mara was the mistress of death, she thought bitterly. She had gone from grief to murder in a matter of minutes and here she was, praying to the same Force that had guided her hand to slaughter to save the man she loved. She feverishly looked aroud the room. It was nothing more than somebody's personal office. There was a HoloNet terminal and nothing much else- nothing to stop the bleeding or the pain of a severed arm.

"Just...hold on, Skywalker," Mara breathed, clutching his arm tightly. "Why didn't you get out of there?"

Luke coughed. "Could ask you...the same."

And then it hit her. She was supposed to be en route to her escape pod, ready to rendezvous with the Defender but she was there, avenging the death of Luke's mother. If she had gone, let the rest of the Jedi figure out how to stop the droids, Luke might not be bleeding to death in her incapable, murderous hands.

The Neimoidian didn't bleed, a little voice told her. You missed your chance.

She should have tried to shake the voice away, but instead, she listened. The Neimoidian hadn't bled because she had sealed his wound with her lightsaber. If there was any chance Luke could get out of this mission alive, she would have to stop the bleeding.

"Here, I'm going to help you sit up," Mara said over the sound of blast shots hitting the doors. She didn't have time to check the locks with her datapad so she tried to focus on keeping that button pressed with the Force.

She took a deep breath and ignited her lightsaber. To his credit, Luke didn't show any sign of fear- only confusion. "Kenobi?"

"I'm going hold your arm out," she said firmly. Realisation dawned on him. "This is going to sting a little."

"Do it," Luke breathed out.

The light shone in the darkened room and with a precise and firm touch, the smell of burning flesh returned and the sound of restrained screaming echoed in her ears. Mara fought back tears. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Nobody was supposed to get hurt, but here she was, holding a lightsaber to Luke's arm to stop him from dying.

His screaming finally ceased and Mara turned her head to check. "It stopped," she confirmed. Luke barely managed a nod and Mara helped him lean back against the wall. It was far from over but if Mara wanted to get them both out alive, she'd have to concentrate.

She ignored the pool of blood surrounding her and pulled out both the remote and her datapad, locking the door and turning on the lights as she stood.

"Where...?" Luke asked. "Mara?"

She ignored him and connected the two devices. Her earlier suspicions had been correct. This was the master controller. Finally, a victory. By her datapad's calculations, all the droids had their homing beacons activated which meant the Jedi were able to track them. A few units had been destroyed already, with Mara seeing four more units activated within the building already.

She had to deactivate them and do it quickly. Either her Master or father had locked the entrance which meant the floors had been evacuated. All that stood in her way was the encryption code screen, which blinked back at her. She looked closer. Something was very familiar about the screen. The decoration looked simple enough, but there was something that stood out.

Fear and confusion gripped her heart as she saw a familiar design emblazoned across the remote's small screen. It was the same crest as the one at Serenno. With a scratch of her nail, she drew blood, not stopping to even consider what was probably not coincidence. She pressed her bloody finger up to the screen and then, it beeped with approval.

"Mara? Did it work?" Luke asked quietly from the wall.

It took her three seconds and then the unmistakable sound of droids powering down echoed through the silent hallway.


	19. Impulse

**A/N:** To all of you still reading, hello and welcome back! The last time this was updated, Star Wars wasn't even owned by Disney. Ouch. Thank you for keeping up with me! A huge thank you to my ever-so-loyal beta Lacey, who goes by **Toni** here on _ . _She is ever so patient and kind, even when I go internet AWOL and suddenly decide after 7 or so years that the plural of Jedi is Jedis (?! I'm an idiot).

Get your brave hats on.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen: Impulse<strong>

Mara and Luke waited eleven standard minutes before Mara felt both her father's and Master's presence in the Force. Seeking them out felt unnatural to her, as if her connection to the Force was undeserved. Her body and mind had always sought her father, but when she found him, it wasn't right.

His presence was always a comfort to her but something had changed. She found him, as bright as always, but he didn't provide any comfort. It suddenly occurred to her, that in her moment of rage, she hadn't even considered sheltering herself.

She had broadcasted her emotions to every Jedi planet-side which meant that her act of murder had reverberated through the Force at high frequency. She was a murderer and had done nothing to hide it.

Mara didn't feel comfort because there was no comfort to be had, and it was as simple as that.

"Mara?" Luke asked from his position against the wall. She had murdered the Neimoidian and if Luke had been killed, she would have been responsible. She had done a horrible job of fixing what was left of his arm so she had to act quickly. The Jedi needed to get off this planet before any more setups reared their heads.

She wanted to sit alone and think about what everything meant. Why had the Dooku bloodline been able to shut off the droids? Was it a leftover order from the Clone Wars?

But now wasn't the time. She closed her eyes and sent out the message.

Luke's hurt. We need to get him out of here.

It was her father that answered her distress call first. _We're on our way._

She breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down next to Luke. He had put himself into a healing trance with what little energy he still had left. His eyes fluttered as she slipped her hand into his. He knew she was there and she felt a very faint ripple between them: _thank you_.

In response, Mara gavehim a little of what she herself had left. She only hoped that when he woke, he'd forgive her.

oOo

Mara had been silent as Anakin and her father made their way out of the building. She had tried to ignore the deactivated droids that littered the floors. She held back a sob as she thought of Padmè's body in the top hallway and wondered how the Skywalkers seemed so calm. She wanted to scream and shout her grief, Code be damned but other things weighed heavily on her mind.

Padmè's death repeated over and over in her mind and she called upon the Force to help cleanse her grief. Except it didn't work. Dark thoughts wandered in and out of her conscious mind and she wasn't sure whether or not it was her own doing.

The Force mocked her, only allowing the smallest part of itself be controlled. It was trying to tell her something and she was refusing to listen. She had caught her father staring at her as of late, as if he was waiting for something to surface. He loved her, she knew that, but she had proved herself to be tied to the darkness today. If he was waiting for something to happen, she feared that in good time, it would.

Barely a word had been spoken between them all as Luke clung to his slumber. Grief hung similarly on Mara as she rendered assistance wherever she could. The silence wore her down and she felt a wave of fear pass over her as Master Windu cast his eye over her.

The Jedi Master rarely approved of anything to do with her. Hours spent perfecting saber techniques had done nothing to please him, nor hours spent in meditation trying to right her wrongs. Her short leave of absence had proved ineffective and now, he could see right through her.

He could smell the fact that she was a murderer.

She tore her eyes away from the Jedi Master and stole a glance at another one. Her Master worked efficiently, directing others around them. His face looked tired and she had felt his relief through the Force once he realised that his son was going to be okay. She had felt something similar come from her own father.

She wondered what words she could possibly say to him to negate his devastating loss. She felt her own pain sharply, what would his be like? Would it manifest as a gaping hole in the Force where Padmè used to be? Her inability to feel the Force completely was a disservice. She poked and prodded the area around him as much as she could with her mind.

_Resignation._

_Relief._

_Sadness._

_Determination. _

_Disappointment. _

Suddenly, she was taken aback by the sheer absence of grief in her Master. She moved quickly to her father, who also would have felt Padmè's loss through the Force and again, found no trace of it.

With this quick realisation, the Force opened itself to her again, filling her with images, thoughts and feelings and most of all, knowledge. It taunted her again, and she felt a ghost of a hand stroking her cheek gently, as if to move it quickly and replace it with a blade.

_There it is_, it mocked. _You knew it all along._

"No," she whispered, her eyes scanning the debris and chaos outside of the building. The Med Crew, with its bright red hover truck sitting in the corner announced itself proudly. Right next to it, a smaller blue hover van sat, tending to its unfortunate and depressing business: storing bodies for transportation.

In a flash, Mara was hurriedly skipping over both destroyed and deactivated droids that had been pulled from the building. She felt her father's confusion as she rushed at the humanoid staff sealing bodies in the transport tubes.

Her eyes roved over the tubes.

"Can I help you?" an older staff member asked gruffly. "Med Crew personnel only."

"I need to see a body," she replied forcefully. "Now."

The man looked her up and down. "You have no right to be asking-"

Before Mara could stop herself, she raised her hand and silenced the man. "I'm not asking."

Wide-eyed and clutching his throat, probably wondering what had happened to his old, tired voice, the man pointed to the tubes behind him. Mara released him from his silence and moved to the back area. As she stepped over a toolkit left on the ground, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Mara..."

Mara shrugged his hand off as she peered into the already closed tube. "I have to know."

He tried again. "There is nothing you can accomplish, young one. These people have become one with the Force. We will honour their sacrifice..."

Another spike of anger surged through her and she couldn't stand the silence, the gaping hole of mistrust and secrecy. She struggled to keep her emotions intact. She felt pain, and confusion and anger...and grief for something that she both feared and hoped wasn't true.

"Honour their sacrifice? Is that what you're going to tell Anakin to console him after a kriffing scumbag shot a hole through his wife's head?" she hissed as she opened up the tube in front of her.

A strange look passed over Obi-Wan's face. "Padmè? Mara..."

But Mara wasn't listening. The tube she had opened was casing the body she had been looking for. Thick, brown curls adorned a blood-soaked face and the official robes of the Republic sat awkwardly around a cold corpse. She gasped as the fire within her started. She flicked the hair out of the way and her fingers ghosted on the bloody cheek of the woman who was most definitely not Padmè Skywalker.

She was quiet for a second and a sob escaped her. "Oh gods," she whispered, pulling her hand from the body. "That's not Padmè."

She looked at her father, whose face had fallen. "No, Mara," he answered slowly. "That is Dormè."

She spun to him, her emotions creeping up and settling heavily inside her chest. "She sent her handmaiden..."

Her father crouched beside the tube and after a short moment of quiet, he nodded to the body and closed the protector. "I am sorry I failed to protect you."

Mara could do nothing but watch on. Her father had always had a strong grip on her emotions, even when it came to her. Watching him peacefully say goodbye to Padmè's handmaiden struck her very core as war raged inside of her.

They had led her to believe Padmè was in there. She thought she had seen Padmè murdered in front of her eyes. She had cried and raged and murdered as she thought Luke and Leia's mother was dead. She had mourned for her Master's dead wife. She had killed Padmè's murderer.

"Why...I don't understand?" was all she could get out. Obi-Wan avoided her eyes as he again attempted to touch her unsuccessfully.

"You are a padawan, Mara. Padmè is safely off-planet. Like with any decoy situation, it was a need to know basis," he offered quietly. "I am sorry, young one. Padmè will be very upset. They were quite close."

Once again, the Jedi had lied to her. She knew and trusted Dormè and would mourn her loss, along with the Skywalkers. Her feelings of betrayal were surfacing, but a colder part of her still whispered among the darkness.

Her father took her hand. "The Council has called a meeting. There are more pressing issues to discuss."

Numbly, Mara felt herself be pulled along, out of the Med Bay area. The old man glared at her as she left, his hand attached to his throat, still reeling from the violation of his voice. The vision of the Neimoidian's head on the ground flashed back at her.

She tried to stuff the next thought deep inside of her.

_He still deserved it. _

_o0o_

The next few hours passed in a blur. A mass evacuation had been called and Mara understood a galaxy-wide notice had been broadcast to all Jedi. Twenty years of peace had done nothing to quell the Jedi's sense of danger. A very important meeting had been called and their party had docked on the nearest friendly planet.

Right now, the three accompanying Masters were in the midst of a Council meeting. All three were making concerted efforts to shield so neither Mara nor any other Jedi present knew what was happening behind those closed doors.

Mara hadn't been able to face anyone and had made herself scarce. Her datapad had burnt a hole in her pocket but she had avoided looking at the doomsday device and focused her energy on the comings and goings of the on-site med-bay.

Once she was certain Anakin was safely tucked away in the important meeting, she had found her way to the visitor's seat next to Luke's bacta tank. The droid had informed her that they were working on a prosthetic arm which would be attached in two days after the bacta had finished repairing his wound. The droid also praised her for cauterising the wound but Mara felt no pride in the matter.

As far as she was concerned, she had cut his arm off herself. Tears formed in her eyes as her oldest friend floated in the medicinal liquid in front of her. Her recklessness in joining the fray had been cruelly rewarded. Her absence might've saved Luke's arm and if she hadn't been in that lift at that time, the Neimoidian might've left Dormè alone.

She was sure Luke could feel her presence and she tried to send him as much comfort as she could. Once his new arm was attached, he would be put back into active service. Something in the Republic was stirring and Mara was sure the legacy of the Separatists had something to do with it.

Before she could ruminate any further, another familiar presence joined her at Luke's side. "Of all the family traits, I can't believe it's _this_ one that stuck," Ahsoka commented as she summoned a chair from the side of an empty bacta tank. "These Skywalkers are certainly something."

Mara was inclined to agree but said nothing. Shame and sadness consumed her and she was struggling to interact with anyone but herself. "Following orders isn't your best quality, is it Kenobi?"

Mara wasn't sure how she could answer that. Ahsoka held up her hand. "I don't expect you to agree, but I want you to listen." She leant in closer. "Look, I know what it's like being judged constantly, your every move scrutinised. I was the Sky guy's padawan too once upon a time ago. And you know what? Most of the time it was great, but sometimes it _sucked_.

"I can feel that there's great conflict inside of you. Everyone on this base can feel it. The Jedi Council have screwed me over in the past too but trust me when I say, they're there to help you. Mara, you need _help_," she whispered. "You have a gift. Nobody cares one bit who your family is-"

"Was," Mara cut in. "Dooku was a Sith and he was my grandfather. I know it and they've known it all along, but still..." She turned to face her Master's first padawan. Ahsoka's eyes were kind but her face remained stoic. "They lied to me about it and then have punished me extensively for it ever since Serenno."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I don't think that's-"

"It _is_," Mara emphasised, sneaking a pained look at Luke. "They look at me as if I'm a bomb ready to explode. I finally figure out that I'm a Dooku and then suddenly my home planet is involved in Separatist terrorist acts against the Jedi. That's not going to end well."

Ahsoka was quiet for a moment until Mara spoke again. "They're going to interrogate me," she added. "Over and over. They'll send someone to start poking my head. Oh and they'll see, they'll see what I've done, what I'm capable of..."

Ahsoka's soft hands cupped Mara's own. "Let them. You're not a monster, Snips." They both looked up to Luke's floating body. In her heart she knew that he was more than a friend. Mara looked at him and recognised something. She was in love with him. She always had been. She replayed the scene of her decapitating Rune Haako and pictured what she would be capable of if someone had shot a hole through Luke Skywalker.

Love didn't discriminate but as Ahsoka stood with one last squeeze of her hands, Mara knew that Luke Skywalker didn't deserve the love of a murderer.

She looked at him again, wishing somehow that when her father had adopted her eighteen years ago, he had taken every inch of darkness out of her slowly decaying heart.

An errant tear spilled down her cheek. Heroes were Jedi. Mara was nothing anymore and as she gathered her herself, she knew that ghosts had no place being Jedi.

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	20. Escape

**A/N: **This brings us to the end of Part One. It's all angst from here on out. You will need your brave hats. Follow us down the rabbit hole...

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><p><strong><strong>

**Chapter Eighteen: Escape**

It took Mara a full eighteen seconds to reach her decision. She was a stubborn young woman and all of her Jedi training hadn't softened that. Her father had always thought it perplexing, but he had managed to love her despite it anyway.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at the bag of meagre possessions she owned. Everything dear to her belonged on Coruscant and she had no intentions of being back there for a very long time. Her chest hurt with the thought of how much her decision would affect the people in her life.

Being a Jedi was all she had ever known. Her life had been regimented up until this point. Her days would be spent meditating, training with sabers and hanging on her Master's every word. The missions they were sent on were routine- she had learned how to think on her feet and use the Force to help others.

She had destroyed everything she had worked for in a moment of complete rage. Murderer's hands were not fit for lightsabers and with this thought, she snatched the offending weapon from her side. She wasn't close enough to her trials to have built one so she felt only numb as she shoved it in her bag. She wasn't sure what she would do with it but it was a Jedi's weapon and as she came to the conclusion, Mara Kenobi was no real Jedi.

She only had a vague idea of what she was going to do. Her issues stemmed from one thing only: her identity. Did being the granddaughter of a notorious war criminal make her exactly like him? Dooku was haunting her from beyond the grave, just as he had haunted her mother. Her mother had turned to spice in an effort to block it out but she was determined to handle this another way. All the meditation in the world wouldn't help her and being at the Temple would be a painful reminder of everything she had lost.

She needed to see something- see the world, see if she actually had a place in it. All the pain and guilt would disappear in its own time-as long as she didn't have to face her failure as a Jedi.

Her thoughts turned to her family away from this space rock. She would find a way to let Padmè and Leia know that she would be okay. Her heart burned with thoughts of Luke. It would still be a few days before he was back to himself and she couldn't wait that long.

Undoubtedly, he would try and convince her to stay and she would probably let him. Her feelings for him would cloud her judgement. Her eyes swept over the bare room. She would be facing another inquest into her actions and the Council wouldn't just let her go. Her heart began to beat harder as she realised that her decision meant she would be escaping from the Jedi Council.

She was turning herself into a fugitive, just like the murderer she was. Perhaps, out there somewhere in the galaxy, she'd be able to find some redemption. With a final look at the room that bore no resemblance to her home, she opened the door and came face-to-face with her Master.

For once, she was actually at a loss for words as he pieced together what her dishevelled appearance with a bag meant. "Please move," Mara finally managed to say after a moment of silence.

Anakin remained quiet and crossed his arms. "You have some explaining to do, young one," he said evenly. She shuffled awkwardly. "You will have to speak with the Council," he added sternly.

Mara went to move but her Master's robotic arm stopped her in her tracks. "But not before speaking with me," he said softly. Mara said nothing as he pushed the door open with the Force behind her.

Her heart raced as she clamped down every shield she had. Her Master was the Chosen One and escaping from him wouldn't be easy. She needed every advantage her cunning would afford her.

He gestured for her to sit down and she complied. "Is the meeting over?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Mara, I think you know that. I'm surprised you're not with Luke."

"Same with you," she deadpanned.

"I am your Master," Anakin declared, "and you will speak to me in a courteous manner while you explain yourself."

_Anger._

_Hate._

_The sound of snapping necks and the smell of pooling blood. _

_The ecstasy of darkness, child. _

She squirmed in her seat, avoiding eye contact. It would be easy to confess everything to her Master. Anakin was often critical but explaining to Luke or to her father that she had murdered someone in a fit of rage would be much harder.

She knew that her Master knew what it was like to struggle with the darkness. He could help her. Even there, he sat there patiently, waiting for his apprentice to come clean. But could she do it?

"I know you said to leave," she started, "but there was the opportunity..."

"Your opportunity did more harm than good. You disobeyed an order yet again and whatever happened on that floor to you Mara, nearly every Jedi planet side could feel it!"

_The look on that reptile's face. The joy of the kill. Lie to him, tell him you hated it. Remember, they lied to you. You thought it was Padmè. _

"I thought it was Padmè," Mara hissed. "You all led me to believe it was her!"

Anakin nodded. "I'm sorry. It was imperative for her safety and for the negotiations to run smoothly. But Mara, why would that matter so much to you? Dormè will be missed and it is a tragedy but tell me, what am I missing? What happened to you on that floor?"

She closed her eyes. If she could just make Anakin think something was wrong with Luke, make an alarm go off, he would leave her to be at his side. That would be the only way she'd get an escape. She panicked as she realised that when this conversation was done, she'd be down in front of the Council. Master Windu would have her permanently grounded and taken back to Coruscant, branded a murderer and thrown into whatever prison was fit to house dangerous, rogue Jedi.

Visions of things to come passed over her mind and she desperately clung to them. Master Yoda shaking his head as he sat beside her, her arms crossed over her. Master Mundi peering at her through bars, ysalamiri darkening her every thought.

She saw Leia scorning, Padmè crying and her father, desperately trying to soothe her through the Force, halting to a stop when all he found there was darkness...

"I can't, Master," was all Mara managed to reply. "I..."

Anakin stood. "You can and you will. The Force has many facets and nobody knows that better than I do. What I felt from you wasn't the Light. Mara, if you're feeling this way, you need to say something..."

And now, she saw red. "So you can throw me into a cell full of ysalamiri? Watch as the Jedi do everything they can to punish the last vestiges of the Sith in the galaxy?"

Anakin froze and stepped back. She had disappointed her Master before, but this was something different. He was looking at her with such a deep pity on his eyes. He looked like a heartbroken man.

"Oh Mara," he breathed, moving closer to her. They had never been affectionate and the few times Mara needed consoling, her father stepped in to do the job. His touch would be just like her father's earlier- undeserved. "You are not evil," he said quietly. "And you are _not_ a Sith."

The confession was on her lips but a small ripple in the Force touched her. She noticed her Master's expressions change and the subtle way his body shifted. He had felt it too. "Luke," she breathed as his Force presence became known.

And there it was. Whether Luke was consciously doing this for her or not, he had provided her with a path and she was going to take it. This conversation was important to her Master, she could plainly see that he wanted to continue. However, when it came to his wayward apprentice versus his only son, Luke won. Always.

Anakin shook off whatever was going on through his head and he raised his finger at her. She imagined how easy it would be for this man, this esteemed Jedi- her mentor, her Master and her friend, to just hold out his hand and crush her throat in an instant. To choke the Sith right out of her.

The image repulsed her and she tightened her shields one last time around Anakin Skywalker. "We'll continue this later," he said firmly. She wondered if he expected her to run. "Luke is...well, Mara, I'm sure you felt it."

Mara nodded in response. His features softened as he adjusted his cloak. "I will find you before the Council wishes to speak with you."

Mara knew that wouldn't happen and despite everything she had done and was about to do to her Master, she couldn't just let him go. "Thank you," she said as he reached for the door. "I mean it, Master Skywalker."

She felt a wave of tenderness touch her shield briefly. "You are welcome."

"And Master? May the Force be with you."

Anakin turned and gave her a tight smile, bowing his head. "May the Force be with you."

o0o

Mara found the combination of adrenaline pumping through her veins, her sheer determination and the gentle push of the Force was a winning combination as she avoided another medical officer in the corridor.

Her head was clearer than it had been in a while now that she had set herself a goal. She had transferred what meagre funds she had as a Jedi which would barely cover the second leg of her journey. While stealing was unbecoming of a Jedi, she figured borrowing was acceptable. The ships were limited here but she had spied an old interceptor that had docked with the larger ships at the spaceport.

Once she had cleared airspace and made it to the closest habited planet, she would send it back. The thought that she was about to leave everything she knew behind both thrilled and frightened her. The galaxy was a big place and although her training as a Jedi was far from done, her knowledge about the Force and the galaxy around her would serve her well.

Her datapad was safely tucked in her bag along with the weapon she no longer considered hers. She was still undecided about what she would do with it. Keeping it on her person could prove dangerous. Many systems still feared the Jedi and if she was ever going to be able to sneak back on to Serenno, it would only weigh her down.

The spaceport was only a few more corridors down and once she had made it past the security officers, she would only have to concentrate on blocking her intentions to slip past the three Jedi Masters planet side.

Anakin was taken care of and despite everything negative Master Windu had likely expressed about her at that top secret debriefing, she knew he wasn't prying at that very moment.

_Probably assumes you are bending to your Master's will and staying put until they are ready to let you fall on your saber. _

That left somebody overwhelmingly important and it burned Mara's heart to even think of it.

"I'm glad you thought to think of me, young one," a voice said, thick with emotion. Mara froze as the figure of her father, the man she hadn't spared a thought about tricking until she had nearly left, stepped out from the left corridor.

He bore a sadness in his eyes and a heavy burden in his heart and Mara ached to know she, like so many other times before, was the cause of it.

She pulled her bag closer and steeled her nerves. Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man who had adopted her, held her close when the Force sent her nightmarish visions and whispered soothing sounds into her ears as she drifted off, safely encased in his arms, was the last obstacle between her and freedom.

"Get out of my way."

o0o

The events of the past few days had been tiring for Obi-Wan Kenobi. He had been very cautious with the diplomatic negotiations and he was unsure whether he felt proud his Jedi intuition had resulted in him, once again, correctly assessing the situation.

He had seen too many battles with droids in his time and was still haunted by the Clone Wars many years ago. He had lost his own Master amongst the Sith and battle droids and those feelings of watching good men die at the hands of the Separatists had made him relish these days of peace.

The day had seen those years of peace descend into darkness and the deception was already wearing on the Jedi. His pressed his hands into his temples as he recalled the heated debriefing that took place behind closed doors.

It reminded him far too much of the reign of Sidious. Back then, the Council had shut his apprentice out, casting much suspicion on Anakin. It had been a difficult situation to navigate. Luckily, Anakin had proven himself to the Jedi and nothing more on the issue had been heard since the defeat of Palpatine.

His heart was heavy as he thought back on the discussion today. Hearing the faults of one's apprentice was difficult but hearing the faults of one's child bore much more weight on the Jedi's mind.

Much like Anakin, the comments that flew between the Masters stationed both here and weren't accusatory but that didn't make it any more tolerable. Anakin had recounted every detail and it was clear to him, and the entire Jedi Council for that matter, that Mara was struggling.

Obi-Wan had remained silent as Anakin recounted the orders and Mara's absolute disregard for them. He had even remained silent as Anakin loudly defended his daughter after the fuzzy image of Shaak Ti suggested the connection between Mara, Serenno and the unfortunate Separatist remnants should bear further investigation.

Anakin had turned to him for backup, but still he had remained quiet. Mara was his daughter and despite where she came from, he loved her as if she was his own flesh and blood. He had felt something strong coming from her in that building but in her volatile state, he had waited to confront her. As much as he loved and respected the Jedi, a surprising part of himself maintained that first and foremost, this would be family business.

"I shall speak with her, Masters," Anakin had promised and Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"Master Kenobi, we understand the delicate nature of this. However, we feel it is necessary to speak to your daughter. She has been reckless and for everyone's sake, especially hers, we would like to get things cleared up."

He had made eye contact with Anakin who touched him gently with support through the Force. Luke and Leia, when she had been attached to the Jedi, had both excelled in every aspect, causing no problems for anyone. Anakin was Mara's Master and he too felt the keen sting of disappointment and support for her.

"I agree," Obi-Wan had finally agreed. "Mara should be _spoken to,_ not questioned or punished. For what it is worth, I am vouching for her. She may be related to Count Dooku by blood, but he died years before her birth. The Jedi life is all that she's ever known before our refusal to admit the truth."

The Masters, light years away had remained silent, as if collectively deciding on the way to dismiss the concerned father and placate the Jedi Master. "Change, people can," Master Yoda acquiesced and that was the end of the discussion.

Obi-Wan believed in the Jedi Council whole-heartedly but it was obvious they had not learnt how to approach situations after Anakin Skywalker. After a short visit to visit his second former apprentice, Obi-Wan finally decided it was time to speak to Mara.

Mara had avoided them before the Council meeting and after a quick scan of the records, he had seen that she had spent time with Luke and out of her quarters. He did a gentle probe with the Force and found both Anakin and Mara; although Mara felt as if she weren't quite whole.

Obi-Wan frowned. It meant only one thing. She was shielding. The Jedi Master was not young anymore but his mind was as sharp as ever. A dreadful feeling passed over him once he realised what that meant. Not feeling Mara was a feeling in itself that had far more disturbing consequences.

His feet guided him to her quarters on the fourth floor. He realised with dread their hosts had placed her room close to the spaceport. She had a quick getaway. He felt that she and Anakin had parted way and after passing by her locked door, he was well and truly trying to shield his own feelings.

The Jedi had taught him patience and serenity but parenthood had taught him far greater lessons. The love of a parent for a child overruled any sense of duty he felt at this moment and he quickened his feet in response.

And then, he could see her. Her hair was a wild mess and although Obi-Wan could only see her from behind, he spotted a strap of a bag attached to her right shoulder. He could feel her focus on the corridor in front of him and he used this to his advantage. He spent no time moving through the adjacent corridor.

The Council were expecting to speak to Mara and he himself wanted to clear things with her. Their methods would differ and although the Council had earned his trust, it was obvious Mara did not share that belief. She was getting closer to the exit for the spaceport and Obi-Wan was fearful.

It was clear- Mara intended to run.

More than that, Mara intended to _escape_.

A stray thought slipped through her defences. In it, he found a variety of mixed feelings: anger, sadness, regret..._liberation_. And he found something else. The image of his face. In it, he saw his face distorted. His eyes in Mara's image held such anger and resentment that he barely recognised himself.

"I'm glad you thought to think of me, young one," he said calmly to her. He had so much more to say but he knew her well.

She was silent for a moment. "Get out of my way," she finally said, her voice firm. Obi-Wan had plotted her eye movements and she was focused on the space behind him. Her eyes had yet to meet his own.

"I rather think that won't be happening," he reasoned. "Mara, I don't know what is going on with you but I know that it is something we can fix. Together."

The words stopped her but deep down Obi-Wan knew that he had already lost. His once vibrant and energetic daughter looked crazed. Her hair, normally in a rigid braid, hung freely about her. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips pursed. Even her choice of attire spoke volumes. It was black and functional and she intended to blend in.

By the Force, she was planning to leave.

"You know it, don't you?" Mara asked him sadly. He did. He could feel it deep in his bones. There was an air of sadness mixed with a tinge of darkness around her and it physically hurt him.

"I can help you. Please let me help you," he tried. "I will deal with the Council."

Obi-Wan knew that he had ways to stop her. His daughter was gifted and strong in the Force but he was a Jedi Master. He could touch her, move her and sing her to sleep with the Force with a simple flick of his arm. He would not hesitate if she was in danger.

So what was stopping him? A call through the Force could alert his fellow Jedi. Anakin would be here and together, they could stop her. His thoughts alone could set off alarms, break her shielding and then, he could turn her to the Council, where they would surely...

"Put me in a cage," Mara finished for him. He was unaware she could even sense him. "Watch my every step until I kriff up again. Brand me a rogue Jedi, question me."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "The Jedi aren't your executioners. They only want to speak with you." It wasn't lost on either of them that he separated himself from the Council.

"Dad, I don't know who I am. I can't do this anymore," Mara started, walking towards him. "Am I supposed to even be a Jedi? Or was it convenient because I was your daughter? Or Dooku's grand-daughter? None of it is fair. There's a world out there and I need to look at it without being a Jedi."

She stopped a moment and took his hand. "I _have_ to go."

He stopped to take a look at the young woman he had raised. Could he let her do this? The Council would have his hide. What kind of parent would he be? Mara was meant to be a Jedi, of this he had no doubt.

_But I do,_ her voice said in his head.

Her back straightened. Obi-Wan knew that there was a process by which padawans and Jedi Knights could leave the Order. Usually a Jedi Master would release the person in question. He had watched as Leia had taken the vow to the leave the Order but he never thought that he would be standing aside to let his only daughter leave the Jedi.

He didn't speak. His body language communicated everything Mara needed to know.

He moved aside.

"I won't accept that this is for good," he stated, trying to keep his manner calm. "I do expect you will come back."

Despite her hostility, his precious, wonderful daughter looked up at him with her green eyes and Obi-Wan was reminded of the decision he had made all those years ago. He had parented her and now he was letting her go.

Instead of speaking, Mara reached into her bag. She withdrew her hand which clutched a Jedi's most prized weapon. "I can't take it," Mara stressed and Obi-Wan felt a sting as she pressed her lightsaber into his hands. "It is a part of me I need to leave behind. I'll come back for it, Dad."

He wanted to ask what she was planning to do? How could she survive in the real world without anything? What would he tell the Council? Would he regret this decision? Her departure would affect more than just him. He would not lie to the Council and Anakin had suffered enough trials with his apprentices.

And Luke.

It was very clear to him that Mara was in love with his former apprentice, whether she was aware of it or not. He suspected that in time, the feelings may be reciprocated. He had some recovery to go and he would not take her absence well.

"I will give it to Luke," he stated, watching Mara's expression change into something he had seen before on Anakin, long ago. "As a way of goodbye."

Mara folded into his arms. "I love you," she whispered. He closed his eyes and felt her move away. He waited three minutes and when he opened them, his daughter was gone.

"I know."


End file.
